Story Category: Live Updates »

U.S. Chief District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Rico Toliver, age 43, of Hyattsville, Maryland, today to life in prison for his conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute PCP and crack cocaine, and a concurrent life sentence for attempting to possess with the intent to distribute a large quantity of crack cocaine in April 2010.  ChiefJudge Chasanow enhanced Toliver’s sentence upon determining that Toliver had previously been convicted of five drug felonies.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

According to evidence introduced at trial, between October 2009 and May 2010 Toliver conspired with Jacinto Bracmort,Ricky Moore and others to distribute crack cocaine and phencyclidine (PCP) in the Prince George's County, Maryland area. Toliver was repeatedly overheard in a series of telephone calls intercepted between February and April 2010 discussing the sale of PCP andcrack cocaine to Moore and others. After several of the calls in March 2010,agents saw Toliver drive to various locations to meet Moore to sell him PCP or crack cocaine.

Trial evidence also showed that in April 2010, Toliver drove to Memphis, Tennessee to buy powder cocaine from a supplier named Reno.  After arriving back in Maryland the next day, Toliver discovered that the powder was not cocaine when he had anassociate attempt to cook the powder into crack.  After intercepting several phone calls in which Toliver threatened to kill Reno, FBI agents arrested Toliver on May 1 at a motel in Laurel and seized $5,271 in cash from Toliver.

Trial testimony established that Toliver was responsible for the distribution of at least two gallons of PCP and over 280 grams of crack cocaine during the course of the conspiracy.  Evidence at trial also showed that Toliver had attempted to obtaintwo kilograms of crack cocaine for distribution on the April 2010 trip to Memphis.

Jacinto Bracmort, age 40, of Silver Spring, Maryland, was convicted by a jury of the same conspiracy and sentenced on April 24, 2012 to 10 years in prison. Ricky Moore, age 30, pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy and was sentenced to 57 monthsin prison.  Three other defendants have pleaded guilty to their participation in the drug conspiracy. 

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI for its work in this investigation and thanked Assistant United States Attorney Adam K. Ake and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Hans Miller assigned from the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, who prosecuted the case.