Elias Nick Costianes Jr. Indicted on Drug, Gun Charges

Baltimore, Maryland — A 43-year-old Nottingham man is staring down federal prison time after a grand jury indicted Elias Nick Costianes, Jr. on multiple drug and firearms charges. Costianes faces two counts of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances—specifically testosterone and cocaine—and one count of illegal firearm possession as a drug user. The three-count indictment, returned November 18, 2021, marks the latest escalation in a federal probe that began with a targeted FBI raid.

On February 12, 2021, FBI agents executed search warrants at Costianes’s home, his vehicle, and his cellphone. Inside the Nottingham residence, law enforcement seized four firearms: a 9mm pistol, an M&P 15 semi-automatic rifle, a .223 caliber semi-automatic rifle, and a 12-gauge shotgun. Agents also recovered mixed ammunition and multiple vials of controlled substances—three of testosterone enanthate and one of testosterone cypionate—fueling the federal case against him.

Court documents reveal digital evidence pulled from Costianes’s phone paints a damning picture. Photographs and text messages allegedly show the defendant acquiring and distributing cocaine and testosterone to friends and associates. The indictment alleges the testosterone trafficking ran from February 2020 to February 2021, while the cocaine conspiracy spanned March to December 2020—placing Costianes at the center of a sustained distribution ring.

Costianes is charged with being a prohibited person in possession of firearms due to his status as an unlawful user of controlled substances. Federal law bars drug users from possessing guns or ammunition, and prosecutors are seeking maximum penalties. Each drug conspiracy count carries a potential 20-year prison sentence; the firearms charge adds up to 10 more years. While actual sentences often fall below the cap, federal judges weigh the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors before ruling.

Despite the charges, Costianes remains free under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services following his arrest on a related criminal complaint. His initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore is pending. No finding of guilt has been made—the indictment is not a conviction, and federal law presumes Costianes innocent until proven guilty in court.

The case was announced by United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and FBI Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Baltimore Field Office. Barron credited the FBI’s investigation and praised Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey J. Izant, who is prosecuting the case. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md.