Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Ludin Alfredo Ipina-Ipina, age 33, of Chillum, Maryland, today to 66 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute over two kilograms of cocaine.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration – Washington Division; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).
According to his plea agreement, from July 2020 to November 2020, Ipina sold cocaine to co-conspirators on three instances. Specifically, in July 2020, Ipina sold 21.7 grams of cocaine to a co-conspirator for $1,600; in August 2020, Ipina sold 55.7 grams of cocaine to a co-conspirator for $3,600; and in September 2020, Ipina sold 167.8 grams of cocaine to a co-conspirator for $10,000.
On November 12, 2020, law enforcement executed search warrants at Ipina’s residences. At his Chillum, Maryland residence, law enforcement recovered approximately 2,406.2 grams of cocaine, digital scales, baggies, and shrink wrap with cocaine residue. In addition to the cocaine and drug paraphernalia, law enforcement also recovered five-kilogram wrappings with cocaine residue and $118,453 in cash. At the time of his arrest, law enforcement also recovered $1,021 from Ipina’s person. In an interview with law enforcement, Ipina admitted that the cocaine recovered by law enforcement was his and claimed that he was holding the two kilograms of cocaine for another individual. Ipina also informed authorities that he intended to use the $119,474 in recovered cash to purchase 10 kilograms of cocaine from a drug supplier in Texas.
As stated in his plea agreement, Ipina distributed 167.8 grams of cocaine, possessed 2,405.2 grams of cocaine with the intent to distribute, and attempted to purchase 10 kilograms of cocaine with the intent to distribute that cocaine to drug users and distributors.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA and PGPD for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Rajeev R. Raghavan, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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