Skip to main content
March 14, 2012Baltimore, MD, United StatesNarcotics

New York man sentenced to 10 years in prison for trafficking crack cocaine

Attempted to drive more than 300 grams of crack cocaine through Maryland

BALTIMORE — A New York City resident was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine and possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute, following an investigation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Luis Ahorrio, 37, of Queens, N.Y., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles Jr. Thursday.

According to evidence presented at the week-long trial, Ahorrio and co-conspirator Timothy Wilson, 43, of Toms River, N.J., left Wilson's home in New Jersey in a rental car. Several hours later, Maryland State Police troopers stopped their vehicle on Route 113 in Worcester County, Md., for driving above the speed limit and following a vehicle too closely. Ahorrio and Wilson appeared nervous. Upon reviewing the car rental agreement, one of the troopers noticed that Wilson, the passenger, was the only authorized driver of the vehicle.

A canine search of the car revealed a bag under the passenger side seat filled with ziplock bags that contained a total of 327.9 grams of cocaine base. Ahorrio and Wilson testified at trial that they had no knowledge of the cocaine base. The jury, however, concluded that Wilson and Ahorrio had knowingly conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute the crack cocaine found in the car, and that they both knowingly possessed crack cocaine with the intent to distribute. Judge Quarles also found that Ahorrio's denial of knowledge of the drugs in the car constituted an attempt to obstruct justice.

Timothy Wilson was sentenced to 10 years in prison on March 7 for the conspiracy and for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine.

The investigation was conducted by HSI Baltimore, the Maryland State Police and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Field Division.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua L. Kaul, Robert Harding and Christopher Romano.

Updated: