400 Weed Plants Found, Several MD Relatives Indicted: Officials

Glen Burnie MD

25 February, 2022

1:11 PM

Description

BALTIMORE, MD — Several relatives were indicted after a Maryland drug bust, officials announced Wednesday. Investigators said they found hundreds of marijuana plants and enough fentanyl to kill 2.5 million people. Authorities accused the family of planning to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and marijuana throughout the state. The group ran the operation out of two autobody shops in Anne Arundel County and Baltimore City, a press release said. "This 10-month investigation was a huge undertaking," said Amal Awad, chief of the Anne Arundel County Police Department. "With our dedicated detectives spending thousands of hours collecting evidence[,] that ultimately led to the dismantling of a major drug trafficking organization." Prosecutors identified the indicted residents as: Dwayne Booze, 48, of BaltimoreThomas Timothy Booze, 51, of BaltimoreMaurice Dotson, 47, of SevernMichael Booze, 27, of Glen BurnieThomas William Booze, 31, of Glen Burnie Indictments are official accusations of a crime. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County will handle these cases. Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh said some of the charges, which are all listed here, include: Participation in a criminal organizationConspiracy to distribute drugsPossession with intent to distributeGun-related crimes Officials said they seized the drugs pictured above during this investigation. (Courtesy of Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh's office) The attorney general said Dwayne Booze led the drug distribution effort from February 2021 through last December. "Dwayne Booze, charged under the Drug Kingpin statute, worked with family members to distribute deadly narcotics and opioids under the guise of legitimate businesses," Frosh said in the release. "Thanks to the investigative work of our partners, particularly Anne Arundel County, these individuals are charged with significant crimes that carry hefty penalties." Investigators reported seeing dozens of drug transactions in multiple jurisdictions. They also used a wiretap to confirm the widespread distribution, the release said. Police executed court-ordered search and seizure warrants for 20 places throughout Maryland. Officials said they seized: More than 7 kilograms (15.4 pounds) of cocaine and cocaine baseMore than 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of fentanylMore than 500 grams (1.1 pounds) of heroin400 marijuana plants from the Baltimore City car repair shopNine guns "If you pursue a life of crime in Maryland, you will end up behind bars," said Yesim Karaman, the chief of staff of the governor's Office of Crime Prevention, Youth and Victim Services. Frosh thanked: Organized Crime Chief Katie DorianAssistant Attorney General Paul HallidayAssistant Attorney General Theresa MorseDetectives from the Anne Arundel County Police Department's Narcotics and Special Investigations DivisionAgents and investigators from the Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area of the U.S. Drug Enforcement AdministrationMaryland State PoliceBaltimore Police DepartmentBaltimore County Police DepartmentCalvert County Police DepartmentMaryland Transportation Authority PoliceAnne Arundel County State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess This investigation was organized under the Maryland Criminal Intelligence Network. Have a story idea? Please contact me at [email protected] with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County news.