Edgewood Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison on Drug Charges; Harford County Task Force Intercepted Calls

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Baltimore:

U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Michael Lawrence White, age 31, of Edgewood, Maryland, today to 10 years in prison, followed by 8 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Ava Cooper-Davis of the Drug Enforcement Administration – Washington Field Division; Colonel Marcus L. Brown, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Harford County Sheriff L. Jesse Bane; Chief Henry Trabert of the Aberdeen Police Department; and Harford County State’s Attorney Joseph I. Cassilly.

According to evidence presented during White’s seven day trial, during an investigation being conducted by the Harford County Task Force (HCTF), calls were intercepted between White and co-conspirator Mark Moore. Several intercepted calls occurred on April 5, 2010, in which White contacted Moore to obtain narcotics, including placing a call to obtain additional drugs, less than one hour after meeting Moore to obtain drugs the first time. Three days later, on April 8, 2010, White contacted Moore and arranged a meeting to purchase narcotics. Police covered the meeting between the two and testified at trial that the meeting was consistent with a narcotics transaction. Within minutes of the meeting between White and Moore, White was followed to a meeting with one of his customers, who was subsequently arrested and found to be in possession of crack cocaine. The very next day, April 9, 2010, a call was intercepted between White and Moore in which White can be heard requesting “the jolly rancher” (crack cocaine)and “the lassie” (powder cocaine).

According to Moore’s plea agreement, on May 5, 2010, investigators learned from intercepted phone conversations that Moore would be traveling to Delaware to purchase a kilogram of cocaine. As he returned to Maryland, Moore’s car was stopped by members of the Maryland State Police on I-95 in Harford County and a search of the vehicle recovered approximately one kilogram of cocaine from under the driver’s seat.

Trial evidence showed that White obtained drugs from Moore and then resold the drugs. The jury found that White was guilty of conspiring to distribute less than 28 grams crack, but more than 500 grams of powder cocaine.

Co-defendant Mark Angelo Moore, age 23, of Middle River, Maryland, pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and was sentenced to nine years in prison on November 8, 2011.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the DEA, Maryland State Police, Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Aberdeen Police Department, and Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in this investigation and thanked Assistant United States Attorney Christopher J. Romano, who prosecuted the case.