April 29th, 2016 by WCBC Radio

U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III sentenced Eric Christopher Smallwood, a/k/a “Big Baby” and “E,” age 40, of Hagerstown, Maryland today to five years in prison followed by four years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine in the Hagerstown area.

 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Kevin Perkins of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Captain Paul “Joey” Kifer, Acting Chief of the Hagerstown Police Department; Washington County Sheriff Douglas W. Mullendore; and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office.

  

According to his plea agreement, Smallwood regularly obtained bulk quantities of cocaine from Abdul Smith, which he re-sold to customers in the Hagerstown area.  Smallwood provided the proceeds of these sales to Smith to pay for prior supplies of cocaine. Agents obtained a wiretap on phone lines used by Smith and Smallwood, and intercepted numerous calls between them discussing the distribution of cocaine. 

 

Over the course of the conspiracy, Smallwood obtained at least 400 grams of cocaine from Smith, which he then re-distributed to customers in Maryland. 

 

Co-defendants Abdul Jamel Smith, age 40; Rory Slade Jenkins, a/k/a/”Malik,” age 56; Altonia Sylvester Henderson, age 40; and Johnathan Woodley, a/k/a “Ming”: age 39, all from Hagerstown, previously pleaded guilty to their participation in the drug conspiracy and were sentenced from five years of probation to 51 months in prison.

 

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI, DEA, Hagerstown Police Department and Washington County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark and Matthew C. Sullivan, who prosecuted the case.