Laurel Man Gets 11 Years for PCP Ring and Loaded Gun

Ayodele Amon Olukotun, a 28-year-old man from Laurel, Maryland, is headed to federal prison for 11 years after admitting to running a violent PCP distribution ring in Howard County. Known on the streets as 40 Caliber and Bizzle, Olukotun was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander to serve time for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and for possession with intent to distribute phencyclidine, commonly known as PCP. The sentence is followed by five years of supervised release.

The case, led by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein, exposed a months-long operation that flooded neighborhoods around Whiskey Bottom Road with over 3,000 grams of PCP. Between June and November 2015, Olukotun distributed significant quantities of the hallucinogenic drug, often mixing in heroin sales. On at least nine separate occasions, undercover officers bought drugs directly from him—306 grams of PCP and five grams of heroin—for a total of $7,965 in illicit transactions.

The bust came on November 4, 2015, when Howard County Police Department detectives observed Olukotun loading two backpacks into the trunk of a vehicle known to be used as a stash spot. A narcotics canine unit scanned the car and alerted to drugs. A search turned up 5,177.2 grams of PCP and a loaded .38 caliber revolver, stashed just inches from the drugs. Olukotun later admitted he carried the gun for protection and to further his drug enterprise.

Olukotun pleaded guilty to all charges, cutting off any chance of a trial. His admissions painted a picture of a calculated, armed dealer operating with little regard for public safety. The proximity of the firearm to the drugs elevated the severity of the charge, triggering a mandatory minimum sentence under federal law for using a gun in drug trafficking.

Rod J. Rosenstein praised the collaboration between the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Field Division, the Howard County Police Department, and the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office, calling the takedown a victory for community safety. Special Agent in Charge Karl C. Colder of the DEA and Chief Gary Gardner of the Howard County Police Department both emphasized the danger posed by armed drug traffickers in suburban communities.

The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek E. Hines and Leo J. Wise. Olukotun’s conviction underscores the federal government’s continued crackdown on drug networks that arm themselves, sending a message that gun-fueled trafficking will be met with maximum penalties. He will serve 11 years without parole, beginning immediately.

RELATED: Johnstown Man Tony U. Atwood Admits to Heroin Dealing, Gun Possession

RELATED: Joshua Jackson Gets 70 Months for Gun Pipeline to Camden Drug Crew