Baltimore Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison

A Baltimore man has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for his role in a fentanyl trafficking organization. Murray Ray, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Ray admitted to being involved in a drug trafficking organization that operated a ‘drug shop’ in the 1400 block of Kuper Street and in the area of West Pratt and South Calhoun Streets in Baltimore. Members of the organization, including Ray, conducted hand-to-hand sales of drugs to customers in those areas.

According to court documents, it was reasonably foreseeable to Ray that members of the conspiracy would distribute more than 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl. During the investigation, law enforcement officers conducted video surveillance of the drug shop where Ray distributed fentanyl.

On March 15, 2018, members of the Baltimore City Police Department recovered a firearm and fentanyl from the backyard of a vacant house in the vicinity of Pratt and Calhoun Streets. Video surveillance recorded Ray expressing frustration when he returned to look for the recovered items and could not find them.

Additionally, on May 2, 2018, law enforcement officers stopped Ray while he was driving a stolen vehicle. During a search of that vehicle, the Baltimore City Police Department recovered another firearm. Eighteen other defendants were also convicted as members of the drug trafficking organization.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the FBI and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Stendig, Charles Austin, and Michael Hanlon, who prosecuted the case.

Ray is the eighth defendant to be sentenced to between 70 months and 11 years in federal prison. Eleven other defendants are awaiting sentencing.

The case is a stark reminder of the dangers of fentanyl trafficking and the importance of law enforcement efforts to combat it. As the nation grapples with the opioid epidemic, cases like this one serve as a warning to those who would seek to profit from the suffering of others.

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