Baltimore, Maryland - Judge Brendan A. Hurson sentenced Hugh Emerson Berry, Jr., a 41-year-old from Hagerstown, Maryland, to 78 months in federal prison for participating in a narcotics and firearm trafficking network. This decision follows Berry's guilty plea in January 2025 to conspiracy for distributing heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, as well as possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland, alongside Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Frederick; Postal Inspector in Charge Damon Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) – Washington Division; Maryland State Police (MSP) Superintendent Roland L. Butler, Jr.; and Chief of Police Paul Joey Kifer from the Hagerstown Police Department (HPD).
The investigation began in May 2023, led by ATF, HSI, and MSP into a drug and firearm trafficking network across the mid-Atlantic region. Investigators found that Berry and his associates were distributing both illegal narcotics and firearms in Maryland. An undercover ATF investigator was involved in multiple controlled drug purchases, including heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. Berry, a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition, was also offering firearms and a machine-gun conversion device.
Between May and October 2023, during about ten meetings, Berry sold heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine to an undercover detective. He also sold multiple firearms to the detective, including eight "Ghost Guns," three firearm magazines, and a machine-gun conversion device.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence by coordinating efforts across law enforcement and communities. Begun on May 26, 2021, the Department's violent crime reduction strategy under PSN focuses on core principles: building trust in communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, prioritizing strategic enforcement, and evaluating outcomes.
The case is also a component of the Strike Force Initiative, establishing permanent multi-agency task force teams. These teams pursue intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to dismantle significant drug traffickers and transnational criminal entities. The Baltimore Strike Force specifically targets violent drug trafficking and related criminal activities to lessen violence in the Baltimore area. Agencies involved include the ATF, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and several local law enforcement bodies. The prosecution in this case was led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland.
U.S. Attorney Hayes praised the investigation efforts of the ATF, HSI, USPIS, MSP Criminal Enforcement Division, and HPD. Appreciation was also extended to Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Simpkins for prosecuting the case.
Further information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its work, and resources for reporting fraud can be accessed at www.justice.gov/usao-md and www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.