A Baltimore man, Jeremy Bethea, pled guilty on April 30 to federal drug trafficking charges related to a conspiracy involving fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine.
Bethea, age 46, admitted in court that he conspired with others from August 2022 through October 2023 to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. The case is part of ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to address the impact of drug trafficking on local communities.
According to the plea agreement, Bethea and his co-conspirators regularly obtained quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine for sale in the Baltimore area. Undercover investigators conducted fifteen controlled purchases from Bethea between November 2022 and May 2023. In January 2023 alone, he sold more than forty grams of fentanyl to an undercover investigator. Law enforcement also intercepted phone communications as part of a wiretap investigation authorized between June and August 2023. These calls revealed coordination among members of the conspiracy regarding drug sales.
On April 17, 2023, police stopped a vehicle based on intercepted calls leading up to a planned transaction involving Bethea. Officers recovered several hundred gelcaps containing over four hundred grams of fentanyl after laboratory analysis. A subsequent search warrant executed at a Sharp-Leadenhall residence linked to Bethea uncovered additional quantities intended for distribution: one hundred five grams of crack cocaine packaged for retail sale and more than three hundred grams of marijuana.
Bethea faces mandatory minimum sentences ranging from five years up to life imprisonment for his role in conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Sentencing will be determined by a federal judge considering applicable guidelines.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Christopher C. Goumenis, Special Agent in Charge at the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division; and Richard Worley, Commissioner at the Baltimore Police Department announced the plea agreement together.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office leads prosecution efforts as part of its work with numerous law enforcement partners through task forces such as HSTF Baltimore—an interagency collaboration targeting criminal organizations operating locally and internationally.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland counts alumni in prominent government and judicial leadership roles according to the official website. The office enhances quality of life for Maryland residents through effective justice administration according to its official website. It is part of the U.S Department of Justice according to its official website and employs over two hundred personnel across civil, criminal, and administrative divisions according to its official website. The office prosecutes federal crimes including those related to drugs while handling civil cases for the United States government according to its official website, serving nearly six million residents across Maryland according to its official website. Its origins trace back more than two centuries according to its official website.
U.S. Attorney Hayes said she commended both DEA agents and BPD officers involved in this investigation: “Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Tsuei who is prosecuting this federal case.”
