Nearly $500,000 Seized, Six Indicted For Alleged Drug Trafficking In Baltimore County

BALTIMORE COUNTY - Six people were indicted on Wednesday for allegedly trafficking massive amounts of cocaine from Texas to Baltimore County, according to the Maryland Attorney General's office.

According to the DEA, agents tracked Latrava Kinney, 39, Lawrence Nauls, 45, and Jayson Rhodes, 49, all of Houston, Texas, for more than three months as they routinely went to a safe house in Baltimore County to drop off cocaine.

The drugs were then allegedly picked up by two Baltimore men, Medford Smith, 42, and Sherrod Stokes, 43, who would sell them on the street. The sixth man charged in the case is Maurice Farmer, 47, accused of participating in a Criminal Organization and being a Volume Dealer in Possession with the Intent to Distribute.

"The flow of narcotics and firearms into our communities must stop," Attorney General Anthony Brown said. "Disrupting this large-scale, interstate drug trafficking ring is a tremendous step toward restoring peace and public safety, and I thank our partners in this case and applaud their hard work in obtaining these criminal indictments."

According to the Attorney General's office, officers executed several search warrants in the case and recovered a staggering amount of drugs and money.

• Officials say they recovered:

• 15 kilograms of cocaine

• 400 grams of crack cocaine

• A total of ten firearms

• Roughly $500,000 in drug proceeds.

Kinney, Nauls, and Rhodes, 49, have been charged with conspiracy, participation in a criminal organization, volume dealer, distribution of cocaine, possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, use of firearms in a drug trafficking crime, drug proceeds, and related charges.

Smith was charged with conspiracy, supervising a criminal organization, drug kingpin, volume dealer, possession of a machine gun for an aggressive purpose, possession of an assault weapon, use of firearms in a drug trafficking crime, and related charges.

Stokes and Farmer were charged with participation in a criminal organization, volume dealer, possession with the intent to distribute, and related charges.

"The seizure of drugs in this case and the indictment of these individuals serve as a reminder that our office will work with our partners -- both locally and federally -- to dismantle and disrupt violent criminal organizations and stop individuals who are trafficking these deadly substances and wreaking havoc on our communities," Brown added.