United States Drug Enforcement Administration

DEC 12--Washington, D.C. - The Washington Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), announced today that Eduardo Munoz, age 33, a former Baltimore City Police Officer who resided in Ellicott City, Maryland was sentenced by United States District Judge Catherine C. Blake to 57 months in prison followed by 2 years supervised release for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. The case was investigated jointly by the Baltimore City Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the United States Attorney's Office.

During the investigation, approximately 350 grams of cocaine and two firearms were purchased from Eduardo Munoz and his co-conspirator, Jose Raul Estela, who also pled guilty and was previously sentenced to 90 months incarceration. The Court agreed with the government's position that Munoz should be sentenced to the maximum of 57 months under the applicable guidelines. The sentence included an increase for Munoz's abuse of his position as a Baltimore City Police officer and an increase for the presence of firearms during the drug transactions.

DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Laura Nagel stated "that an officer who had been entrusted to uphold the laws of the state, and who so wantonly abused that trust to the public, can damage years of community-police relations." This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney's Charles J. Peters and A. David Copperthite.