400 Weed Plants Found In Body Shop, Several Relatives Indicted In MD Drug Bust: Officials

BALTIMORE, MD — Several relatives were indicted after a Maryland drug bust, officials announced Wednesday.

Investigators said they found hundreds of marijuana plants and enough fentanyl to kill 2.5 million people.

Authorities accused the family of planning to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and marijuana throughout the state. The group ran the operation out of two autobody shops in Anne Arundel County and Baltimore City, a press release said.

“This 10-month investigation was a huge undertaking," said Amal Awad, chief of the Anne Arundel County Police Department. "With our dedicated detectives spending thousands of hours collecting evidence[,] that ultimately led to the dismantling of a major drug trafficking organization.”

Prosecutors identified the indicted residents as:

• Dwayne Booze, 48, of Baltimore
• Thomas Timothy Booze, 51, of Baltimore
• Maurice Dotson, 47, of Severn
• Michael Booze, 27, of Glen Burnie
• Thomas William Booze, 31, of Glen Burnie

Indictments are official accusations of a crime. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County will handle these cases.

Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh said some of the charges, which are all listed here, include:

• Participation in a criminal organization
• Conspiracy to distribute drugs
• Possession with intent to distribute
• Gun-related crimes

The attorney general said Dwayne Booze led the drug distribution effort from February 2021 through last December.

"Dwayne Booze, charged under the Drug Kingpin statute, worked with family members to distribute deadly narcotics and opioids under the guise of legitimate businesses," Frosh said in the release. "Thanks to the investigative work of our partners, particularly Anne Arundel County, these individuals are charged with significant crimes that carry hefty penalties.”

Investigators reported seeing dozens of drug transactions in multiple jurisdictions. They also used a wiretap to confirm the widespread distribution, the release said.

Police executed court-ordered search and seizure warrants for 20 places throughout Maryland. Officials said they seized:

• More than 7 kilograms (15.4 pounds) of cocaine and cocaine base
• More than 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of fentanyl
• More than 500 grams (1.1 pounds) of heroin
• 400 marijuana plants from the Baltimore City car repair shop
• Nine guns

"If you pursue a life of crime in Maryland, you will end up behind bars," said Yesim Karaman, the chief of staff of the governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth and Victim Services.

Frosh thanked:

• Organized Crime Chief Katie Dorian
• Assistant Attorney General Paul Halliday
• Assistant Attorney General Theresa Morse
• Detectives from the Anne Arundel County Police Department’s Narcotics and Special Investigations Division
• Agents and investigators from the Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
• Maryland State Police
• Baltimore Police Department
• Baltimore County Police Department
• Calvert County Police Department
• Maryland Transportation Authority Police
• Anne Arundel County State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess

This investigation was organized under the Maryland Criminal Intelligence Network.

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