Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Aaron Arthur Fields, a/k/a “Handz”, age 33, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for distribution of controlled substances, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of crack cocaine and cocaine.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler; Harford County Drug Task Force, a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, comprised of members of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, the Aberdeen Police Department, the Bel Air Police Department, and the Havre de Grace Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, on November 4, 2018, Harford County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a Joppa, Maryland residence for a fatal overdose. Emergency medical services personnel and deputies arrived and located two victims (Victim 1 and Victim 2) on the bedroom floor. Victim 1 was found deceased while Victim 2 was revived and transported to the hospital for treatment.
In another bedroom, officers located a line of white powder on a book with a piece of a red straw. The white powder was tested and determined to be a fentanyl and cocaine mixture. The medical examiner concluded that Victim 1’s death was due to acute intoxication by fentanyl and cocaine.
As part of the investigation into Victim 1’s death, Victim 1’s cellphone was seized and searched. A search of the cellphone contents revealed that Victim 1 contacted an individual (Individual 1) the night that Victim 1 and Victim 2 overdosed. The communications with Individual 1 and Victim 1 indicated that Individual 1 arranged for Victim 1 to meet with Fields to purchase drugs on the night of November 4, 2018. Fields admits that he distributed controlled substances to Victim 1 and that the death of Victim 1 resulted.
Additionally, during a traffic stop on April 10, 2019, investigators recovered three grams of heroin from an individual (Individual 2) investigators believed to have purchased drugs from Fields. Individual 2 admitted that they purchased drugs from Fields and confirmed Field’s identity after officers showed Individual 2 a picture of Fields.
As stated in his plea agreement, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Field’s Baltimore residence where investigators recovered 126 grams of cocaine. Investigators also recovered 28 grams of crack cocaine, 48 grams of cocaine, and $1,911 in cash from Fields’ person during his arrest in Rosedale, Maryland. Fields admits that he possessed the crack cocaine and cocaine with intent to distribute it. Fields also admits that he conspired with Individual 1 and others to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the Harford County Sheriff’s Office and the Harford County Task Force for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked the Baltimore County Police Department for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Y. Oldham and who prosecuted the case, and Paralegal Kristy Penny for her assistance.
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 and visit the “Save a Life – Opioid Abuse” section.
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