GREENBELT, MD – Sarah Maud Jess, 62, a Jamaican national residing in Capitol Heights, Maryland, has confessed to a two-pronged federal crime: pushing deadly fentanyl onto the streets and brazenly violating her deportation order. Jess pled guilty today to charges of distributing over 40 grams of fentanyl and re-entry of an alien after being removed following a conviction for an aggravated felony.
The case, spearheaded by U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland, in conjunction with federal and local law enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD), and Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) – reveals a calculated operation. Between November 2023 and October 2024, Jess flooded Maryland with “M30” fentanyl pills, deceptively marketed as something else but laced with a lethal dose of the synthetic opioid. An undercover DEA agent became her customer, repeatedly purchasing large quantities of the drug.
The transactions weren’t subtle. In June, the UC bought 600 pills for $3,600 in a Greenbelt restaurant parking lot, the fentanyl delivered in a black sock. A second deal in September saw another 1,000 pills change hands for $6,000, again in the same parking lot. But law enforcement wasn’t waiting for a third meeting. On October 2nd, as Jess drove to a Silver Spring mall to deliver 700 more pills, officers pulled her over. A search revealed the stash – over 75 grams of fentanyl – and a fabricated driver’s license. The address on the fake ID, while bogus, was a location investigators knew Jess had visited.
The bust didn’t stop at the vehicle. A search of Jess’s Capitol Heights residence turned up another 46 fentanyl pills and a loaded handgun with nine rounds of ammunition. In total, authorities seized more than 3,000 fentanyl pills, exceeding 350 grams of the deadly substance. But the drug charge is only half the story. Jess wasn’t supposed to *be* in the United States. She’d previously been convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana in Prince George’s County, leading to her removal from the country after an immigration judge ruled against her.
Despite being explicitly warned she was permanently excluded from re-entry, Jess illegally slipped back into the US, never seeking or obtaining permission from the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security. She operated her fentanyl pipeline while knowingly flouting the law and endangering the public. This wasn’t a naive mistake; it was a deliberate and dangerous act of defiance.
Jess now faces a significant prison sentence for both crimes. The exact length will be determined at sentencing, but the charges carry substantial penalties. This case serves as a stark reminder that those who profit from poisoning communities and disregard immigration laws will be held accountable. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the sentencing as it develops.
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Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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