In a recent court ruling, Querida Moran, a 53-year-old from Owings Mills, has been sentenced to over 11 years in federal prison for fentanyl distribution, as announced by U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes. According to a statement posted by the U.S. Department of Justice website, Moran was found guilty of possessing and intending to distribute significant quantities of drugs, including two kilograms of fentanyl and over 50 kilograms of cocaine.
Details from the guilty plea revealed that Moran was already under federal supervised release when enforcement agents intercepted her drug activities. The DEA identified her as a key supplier for Baltimore-based traffickers around August 2023. She was observed engaging in several transactions, one of which involved transferring a bag that contained 100 grams of fentanyl to the driver of a Subaru in a Maryland parking lot. Agents later stopped the vehicle, and the drugs were seized, as confirmed by the same announcement.
Further surveillance indicated Moran's use of a storage unit to keep her illegal stockpile. Law enforcement watched as she moved duffle bags and boxes to her storage space. Following a round of transactions, search warrants allowed agents to uncover the narcotics in both her storage unit and her purse. The search of her residence in Owings Mills resulted in an additional seizure of approximately $56,000 in cash, believed to be tied to her drug operations.
The case against Moran results from efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), aiming to take down high-level figures in the landscape of crime that endanger community safety. U.S. Attorney Hayes praised the DEA, Maryland's Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their diligence in the investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Calvin C. Miner, as noted in the Justice Department's release.
Those seeking more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, its priorities, or community resources can find it on their official website. The outcome of Moran's case reaffirms ongoing efforts to crack down on drug trafficking in the region, targeting supply chains contributing to the opioid epidemic.
