10 charged in massive Anne Arundel County drug bust, Maryland AG says

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. - It was called Operation Blues Clues.

A six-month-long sting that led to the largest cocaine seizure in Anne Arundel County history was announced by investigators Thursday.

Maryland's Attorney General Anthony Brown has charged 10 people, including 42-year-old Clayton Mooring, who agents say is the drug kingpin.

DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brian Crowe said taking these people and these drugs off the streets goes a long way in making the community safer.

"We're still seeing cocaine being trafficked by the cartels we are often focused on here at DEA," Crowe said.

In this case, investigators said the drugs came from Mexican cartels into Houston, Texas - sewn into the seat cushions of cars, then shipped up to Maryland and exchanged for cash.

Police found nearly 18 kilograms of cocaine inside one car, worth roughly $2 million.

Ultimately, agents seized not just cocaine but also heroin, fentanyl, marijuana, meth, and 21 firearms.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes recently released its first-ever global report on cocaine, which stated that the global supply has reached record levels. Seizures have also sharply increased globally, according to the report, and many areas are seeing a steady rise in cocaine users.

"Cocaine is still very important for us as we've seen, oftentimes, cocaine mixed with deadly fentanyl," Crowe explained.

So deadly, in fact, that data from the Maryland overdose dashboard shows fatal ODs involving cocaine have cost more than a thousand lives in the last 12 months. It is one of the top drugs killing people, especially when laced with fentanyl.

Crowe said they're not necessarily seeing a surge in cocaine in our area right now but they are certainly not seeing a decrease.

"This is no longer just an opioid crisis, it's an overdose crisis," said Emily Keller, the first-ever special secretary of opioid response in Maryland.

Keller agreed with the DEA, saying cocaine use never went away — it was just overshadowed by fentanyl and opioids in recent years.

"I think we need to get away from that thought of it being a party drug or designer drug because those days are gone," Keller added. "It is much scarier now."

Keller pointed to two simple things that can really help save lives — fentanyl test strips and naloxone.

Both are available from your local health department free of charge.

All the suspects in the historic drug bust are charged as follows:

• Clayton Mooring, 42, of Glen Burnie, is charged in a 16-count indictment with, among other charges, drug kingpin, conspiracy to import cocaine into the State, possession of a large amount of cocaine, and conspiracy to engage in a financial transaction involving drug proceeds. According to the indictment, Mooring is a high-ranking member of the conspiracy, who organized the importation of at least 17 kilograms of cocaine into Maryland, which was recovered on April 7, 2023.
• Tacoma Sanders, 43, of Baltimore, is charged in a 10-count indictment with, among other charges, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, possession of a large amount of cocaine, and possession of a handgun in connection with a drug trafficking crime.
• Maurice Dorsey, 42, of Glen Burnie, is charged in a 22-count indictment with, among other charges, conspiracy to distribute controlled dangerous substances, possession of a stolen firearm, and possession of a large amount of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, which was recovered during a search warrant at his residence on September 28, 2022.
• Donna Carpenter, 33, of Glen Burnie, is charged in a 19-count indictment with, among other charges, conspiracy to distribute controlled dangerous substances and possession of a large amount of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, which was recovered during a search warrant at her residence on September 28, 2022.
• Kirk Nowlin, 32, of Glen Burnie, is charged in a 7-count indictment with, among other charges, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, possession of fake controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute, and two counts of illegal possession of a handgun.
• Raymond Eggleston, 63, of Severn, is charged in a 6-count indictment with, among other charges, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of a large amount of fentanyl, which was seized during a search warrant at his residence on October 26, 2022.
• Darryl Henson, 45, of Severn, is charged in a 5-count indictment with, among other charges, conspiracy to distribute cocaine and two counts of distribution of cocaine.
• Tony Horne Jr., 42, of Severn, is charged with illegal sale of a firearm in Baltimore City, Maryland, on October 28, 2022.
• Drameek Wallace, 23, of Severn, is charged in a 7-count indictment with, among other charges, conspiracy to distribute 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), possession with intent to distribute 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and illegal possession of a stolen firearm, which was recovered during a search warrant at his residence on August 9, 2022.
• Charles Thomas, 35, of Baltimore, is charged in a 9-count indictment with, among other charges, possession with intent to distribute 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), 3,4-methylenedioxy-α-cyclohexylaminopropiophenone, and N,N dimethylpentylone, and illegal possession of a handgun, which was recovered during a search warrant at his residence on November 18, 2022.

"We are determined to disrupt the trafficking of drugs and illegal guns that threaten the safety of our neighborhoods," AG Brown said. "I made a commitment to the people of Maryland that my office would work with local law enforcement to improve public safety. I want to commend the members of the Anne Arundel County Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their tireless effort and commitment to protect our communities."

The defendants’ cases will be handled in Anne Arundel County and Baltimore City. 

"This significant seizure of illegal narcotics and firearms has saved countless lives in Anne Arundel County," said Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal E. Awad. "I am extremely proud of our investigators and the collaboration from our federal, state, and local partners as they navigated every nuance of this complex case. I thank the DEA, Maryland Criminal Intelligence Network (MCIN), the Office of the State’s Attorney, and the Office of the Attorney General for their partnership and collaboration."