A 55-year-old Baltimore man is headed to federal prison after a jury found him guilty in a multi-kilogram fentanyl trafficking conspiracy that investigators say helped fuel the region's overdose crisis.
U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander on Thursday sentenced Rivers Stewart to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Stewart was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Wiretap probe led agents to stash house
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Maryland, the case started in June 2021, when DEA surveillance first focused on alleged drug supplier Carlos Scovens. Agents intercepted calls that linked Stewart to Scovens' operation, and that wiretap work eventually led them to a Northeast Baltimore stash house.
On April 18, 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant at the residence and seized roughly 3,645 grams of fentanyl, 1,000 grams of cocaine, 399 grams of cocaine base, and about 500 grams of a heroin-fentanyl mixture. Additional searches at locations tied to Stewart turned up approximately $45,413 and $17,925 in cash that prosecutors say were drug proceeds.
Co-conspirators already getting prison time
Prosecutors described Stewart as an associate of 59-year-old Carlos Scovens, who was sentenced on Jan. 16 to 100 months in federal prison. Another co-conspirator, Keyshawna Ellis, pleaded guilty in December 2024 and received a two-year federal term in May 2025. The sentencing and timeline of related convictions were first reported by FOX45 News.
Agencies and prosecution
The investigation pulled in a long list of agencies, including the DEA's Washington Division, the FBI's Baltimore Field Office, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Maryland.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaRai Everett and Jon Tsuei prosecuted the case. U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes credited the multi-agency collaboration with securing the indictments and sentences that followed.
Why the seizure matters locally
Baltimore City remains one of the hardest-hit places in the country for overdoses. The Baltimore City Health Department's 2025 needs assessment reports 1,043 overdose deaths in 2023, including 921 that involved illicitly made fentanyl. Public health officials say large federal seizures like this can disrupt local supply chains, but they warn that enforcement alone is not enough.
The city has stressed that overdose prevention requires both law enforcement and robust treatment and harm-reduction services, according to the Baltimore City Health Department report.
Stewart will serve his eight-year federal sentence followed by three years of supervised release. The U.S. Attorney's Office said members of the public who have information about related drug trafficking activity are encouraged to contact their office.
