Gloria Patricia Taylor, Marijuana Trafficking, Maryland 2013

Gloria Patricia Taylor, a 52-year-old Lanham, Maryland resident, has been sentenced to 146 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for her role in a large-scale marijuana trafficking operation.

According to court documents, Taylor was convicted by a federal jury on April 28, 2016, of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 1000 kilograms or more of marijuana, two counts of use of a communication device to facilitate narcotics trafficking, and possession with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana.

U.S. District Judge Theodore J. Chuang imposed the sentence on Taylor, who was also ordered to forfeit $3.7 million. The sentencing was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Special Agent in Charge Karl C. Colder of the Drug Enforcement Administration – Washington Field Division.

The evidence presented at Taylor’s seven-day trial revealed that on July 1, 2013, law enforcement officers intercepted three crates containing a total of approximately 630 kilograms of marijuana at a nationwide delivery company with a shipping office in Maryland. The crates were shipped from Tucson, Arizona, and were addressed to companies in Landover and Lanham, Maryland.

Taylor was identified as the recipient of the shipments, and evidence showed that she had accepted delivery of and signed fictitious names for each of the crates. The driver who delivered the packages testified that Taylor tipped him approximately $100 for each delivery.

According to trial testimony, Taylor had been using the shipping company to receive large quantities of marijuana from Arizona, and had even offered the driver a new cell phone to communicate with her after law enforcement intercepted the crates. Taylor stopped using the shipping company in July 2013, but continued to travel to and from Arizona and Maryland, renting a U-Haul within days of each return.

Taylor’s sentencing is a significant blow to the marijuana trafficking operation, and serves as a reminder of the efforts of law enforcement to combat the illicit drug trade in Maryland.

Related Federal Cases