A Hagerstown man has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking and illegal firearm possession. Hugh Emerson Berry, Jr., 41, received a 78-month sentence for his role in a network distributing heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine across Maryland, as well as for illegally selling firearms, including untraceable “ghost guns” and a machine-gun conversion device.
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Federal authorities began investigating Berry in May 2023 as part of a larger probe into narcotics and firearms trafficking in the mid-Atlantic. According to investigators, Berry, a previously convicted felon barred from owning firearms, was found to be a key player in distributing controlled substances and weaponry. Over a five-month period, he engaged in approximately 10 meetings with an undercover officer, during which he sold various narcotics and weapons.
Berry ultimately pleaded guilty in January 2025 to conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, as well as possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Law enforcement officials seized eight “ghost guns,” three magazines, and a machine-gun conversion device from the transactions, all sold by Berry to the undercover agent.
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The sentencing was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, with support from multiple federal and state agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Maryland State Police, and the Hagerstown Police Department. The case was part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods and the Baltimore Strike Force Initiative, which targets violent drug and gun trafficking operations in the region.
Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland.
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