GREENBELT, Md (May 21, 2008) - U.S. District Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. sentenced Michael Jermaine Minor, age 35, of La Plata, Maryland, on Monday to 10 years in prison followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Judge Williams also ordered Minor to forfeit $40,329.
According to Minor’s guilty plea, on March 23, 2007, Prince George’s County police officers were patrolling the area of Barnabas Road in Temple Hills, Maryland and noticed a group of people, which included Minor, gathered in the parking lot of a restaurant. Officers approached Minor and the other individuals and a canine unit was called to determine whether controlled substances were present in a number of vehicles parked in the lot, including Minor’s pick-up truck. After the canine alerted to the presence of narcotics in the pick-up truck, officers searched the truck, locating a hidden compartment which stored several bags containing approximately 577 grams of powder cocaine and 493 grams of marijuana; two electronic scales used to weigh the drugs; eleven bundles of cash totaling $37,933; and an Intra Tec AB10 9 mm semiautomatic weapon.
Source: United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein