HAGERSTOWN, MD News (6/4/2024) – Marcus Deon Longus, a 44-year-old resident of Hagerstown, Maryland, has been sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for his involvement in a substantial drug trafficking conspiracy. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh in the Northern District of West Virginia.
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According to the Department of Justice, Longus played a significant role in a multi-state operation that distributed heroin, fentanyl, cocaine base, and cocaine hydrochloride. According to court documents and statements made during the trial, Longus operated out of an appliance store named Top 3 Sources in Hagerstown. From this location, he supplied numerous drug dealers across the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. His role included traveling to New York to procure the drugs, which he then transported back to Hagerstown for distribution.
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Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case. The investigation, which culminated in the sentencing of Longus, was a large-scale effort involving multiple federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. These included the FBI-Pittsburgh Division, the U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The West Virginia Air National Guard and the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, also played crucial roles. This task force comprises the West Virginia State Police, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, Ranson Police Department, Charles Town Police Department, and Martinsburg City Police Department.
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Additional agencies involved were Customs and Border Protection, the Hagerstown Police Department, the National Resources Police Department, the FBI-New York Safe Streets Task Force, the New York City Police Department, the New Jersey State Police, the Washington County (Maryland) Drug Task Force, and the Maryland State Police. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Maryland and the Middle District of Pennsylvania also contributed to the case.
The sentencing of Longus follows the arrest of 34 individuals in 2021 on charges related to the drug trafficking conspiracy. The indictment, unsealed on July 20, 2021, detailed a sophisticated operation that distributed large quantities of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine base, and cocaine hydrochloride from Hagerstown to locations in Berkeley County, West Virginia, between August 2020 and June 2021.
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The drugs seized during the investigation included 8.6 kilograms of cocaine, 1.02 kilograms of heroin, and 12 ounces of cocaine base, commonly known as crack. These drugs had a combined street value estimated at $471,000. The indictment also called for the forfeiture of over $400,000 in cash, a .22 caliber pistol, ammunition, and six vehicles, all believed to be proceeds from the drug trafficking activities.
Story by multiple RFHC contributors.
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