Bent Cop Bull Smuggled Heroin, Suboxone Into Maryland Prison

BALTIMORE, MD – Maurice Antonio Bull, 43, of Seaford, Delaware, has confessed to turning his sworn duty into a criminal enterprise. The former Correctional Officer at Eastern Correctional Institution (ECI) pleaded guilty today to both interstate travel in aid of racketeering and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances – charges stemming from a blatant bribery scheme to smuggle contraband into the Somerset County prison.

The announcement came from United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron, alongside Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, and Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Secretary Robert L. Green. “This case demonstrates that we will not tolerate employees in positions of trust violating their oaths,” Barron stated bluntly. “Federal, state, and local officials will continue to work together to root out corrupt employees and others who undermine the administration of justice at our prisons.”

According to the guilty plea, Bull abused his position at ECI, a medium-security facility, for personal enrichment. He accepted bribes to deliver illicit goods – including the dangerous opioid Suboxone, heroin, and tobacco – to inmates. The scheme wasn’t a one-off; Bull actively sought out opportunities to profit from his access. “Contraband and compromised employees endanger every single person who lives and works inside of our facilities,” Secretary Green emphasized. The details reveal a calculated betrayal of public trust.

The bust unfolded in September 2020. An ECI inmate arranged for his sister to deliver a bribe to Bull in exchange for smuggling contraband. Law enforcement observed the sister handing a plastic bag to Bull in the parking lot of a Salisbury, Maryland convenience store. A subsequent search of Bull’s truck yielded a staggering haul: approximately 1,153 Suboxone strips, 8.2 grams of heroin, and 20.6 grams of tobacco – all meticulously packaged and labeled with the intended recipients’ initials within ECI. Officers also discovered a white envelope in Bull’s pocket containing $5,400 in cash.

Bull admitted to investigators he’d been approached in July or August 2020 by an inmate offering $2,000 for smuggling Suboxone. Though that inmate was transferred, Bull quickly found another willing to pay. He confessed to intending to deliver the seized drugs and that the $5,400 represented payment for his agreement. Disturbingly, Bull also admitted to previously smuggling contraband for another inmate in exchange for $2,000 cash, requiring a roundtrip drive from Delaware to Maryland. He’s now facing a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the racketeering charge and a maximum of 20 years for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

This case serves as a stark reminder that corruption can fester even within the walls of correctional facilities. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on any further developments as Bull awaits sentencing. The investigation highlights the ongoing battle against internal threats that compromise the safety and security of Maryland’s prison system.