Federal authorities are searching for Adam Martin, a 44-year-old Baltimore man once described as a leader and supplier in a cocaine-trafficking crew that operated out of Edmondson Village, after his whereabouts became unknown. Martin, also known as “Fats,” is wanted for violating the terms of his supervised release, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
The case dates back to a sprawling federal investigation into a drug operation that sold cocaine and other narcotics in street-level quantities in West Baltimore. Martin was named in a drug-trafficking conspiracy indictment in July 2019, one of 16 people charged after the former U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland announced the case, according to WBFF. As reported by CBS Baltimore, Martin was part of a drug-trafficking crew that dealt cocaine and other narcotics in Edmondson Village from at least September 2018 to June 2019.
How Investigators Built the Case Against Martin
Starting in November 2018, the FBI intercepted phone calls from Martin and his co-conspirators, and through surveillance, investigators determined Martin controlled the supply of cocaine to street-level dealers, per the same CBS Baltimore report. Federal agents used a mix of investigative methods, including intercepted phone communications, physical and electronic surveillance, and undercover buys, to build the case, and agents executed search warrants at suspected stash houses.
On April 10, 2019, FBI agents raided homes on West Franklin Street and Walbrook Avenue. At the West Franklin Street residence, agents recovered four firearms and multiple vials of cocaine base packaged for sale; at the second location on Walbrook Avenue, they found a loaded firearm and more than 200 grams of cocaine base. The station's report describes this as the moment the operation's scale became clear to investigators.
Plea, Sentence and a Disputed Detail
Martin pleaded guilty in 2020 to conspiracy to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base. He was sentenced to 150 months in federal prison in 2021. Sources differ on exactly what followed that sentence: CBS Baltimore reported the term included five years of supervised probation, while a snippet from the U.S. Department of Justice, District of Maryland describes the same five-year term as supervised release.
Another leader of the crew, Calvin Claxton, pleaded guilty in November 2020 to conspiring to distribute heroin, powder cocaine and crack cocaine, according to the earlier CBS Baltimore account of the broader case.
Clemency, Then an Unexplained Disappearance
Court records cited by WBFF state that Martin was granted clemency by former President Joe Biden and was released in July 2025, having served about half of his sentence. Since then, his whereabouts have been unknown, and the U.S. Marshals Service issued an arrest warrant for Martin in June 2026 for allegedly violating the terms of his supervised release.
Al Maresca, a senior inspector with the U.S. Marshals Service, said Martin's extensive criminal history raises a public safety concern. The Marshals Service is seeking tips and leads to locate Martin and safely bring him into custody, and anyone with information can contact the agency at 202-819-5058.
