Baltimore, Maryland – Yesterday, U.S. District Judge George L. Russell sentenced Terrell Walton, age 36, of Delaware, to 13 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine. Walton and co-defendant, Che Jaron Durbin, age 43, of Aberdeen, Maryland were convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine. The jury also found Durbin guilty of two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Harford County State’s Attorney Albert J. Peisinger, Jr.; Special Agent in Charge Jarod A. Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington Office; Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office; and the 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 evidence presented at Durbin’s eight-day trial, Durbin supplied Walton and co-conspirator Michael Ronnell Wells, age 37, of Forest Hill, Maryland with cocaine and crack for local distribution. Several text messages between Walton and Wells referenced Durbin as “Big Bro” and the need to “holla” at him, which was code for a drug transaction. The evidence at trial also showed that Walton obtained cocaine from Durbin, which Walton then sold to a network of individuals in Harford County. Intercepted communications between Durbin and Walton included discussions regarding the amounts of drugs and the price, often using coded language.
During Walton’s sentencing, the government produced evidence of Walton’s Crips gang membership as well as evidence that Walton assaulted a fellow inmate while incarcerated. Specifically, in April 2020, Walton attacked Durbin, causing significant damage to one of Durbin’s eyes. As a result of Walton’s attack, Durbin could possibly lose vision in the impacted.
Walton’s co-defendant, Durbin, is scheduled for sentencing on September 30, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge George L. Russell. Co-defendant Wells pled guilty to his participation in the conspiracy and was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office, the DEA, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, and the Harford County Drug Task Force for their work in the investigation and thanked the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Maryland State Police for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth Clark and Special Assistant United States Attorney Christopher J. Romano, 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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