Baltimore Man Accused of Laundering $27,000 in Drug Money

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted 43-year-old Baltimore resident Hassan Tucker on charges of money laundering and violating the Bank Secrecy Act’s transaction reporting requirements. The indictment, unsealed after Tucker’s recent arrest, alleges that he accepted $27,000 in cash from an undercover federal agent posing as a drug trafficker in exchange for a luxury SUV.

According to the indictment, on January 27, 2023, Tucker agreed to purchase a luxury SUV for $27,000 in cash. However, before completing the transaction, the undercover agent informed Tucker that the cash was derived from drug trafficking activity. Tucker allegedly concealed the transaction by placing the SUV in the name of a female associate of the undercover agent and failed to report the cash transaction as required by federal law.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron, Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the IRS Criminal Investigation Baltimore Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Baltimore Field Office. Tucker made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore on April 29, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Mark Coulson.

If convicted, Tucker faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison under Count One and five years in federal prison under Count Two. However, actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt, and Tucker is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a later criminal proceeding. The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations threatening the United States.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the IRS-CI and DEA for their work in the investigation, thanking Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven T. Brantley for prosecuting the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.