A pair of Baltimore men have pleaded guilty in a case involving the attempted murder of a Drug Enforcement Administration agent.
On Dec. 29, 2021, DEA agents were engaged in surveillance in the 2500 block of West Fayette Street in Baltimore as part of an investigation. Among them was the special agent, who was sitting in an unmarked vehicle.
The car was approached by Davon Rogers, 40, and Juan Hester, 41. The special agent successfully avoided detection by laying down on the floor in the back of the car.
Rogers and Hester eventually left. After several minutes, the agent got back behind the wheel to leave but the two men had returned and opened fire as the agent began driving away, according to prosecutors.
Rogers and Hester pleaded guilty to the attack and drug crimes, respectively, in separate plea deals with federal prosecutors.
The DEA special agent was not struck but the car was hit multiple times. The agent drove for about a block before he crashed his car into a parked car and ran for safety.
Rogers and Hester fled the scene after the shooting but were identified by investigators. Search warrants were executed on Hester’s residence on Dec. 30, 2021, and on Rogers’ residence on Jan. 4, 2022.
The first search of Hester uncovered 113 grams of nearly pure meth, 814 grams of marijuana, 34 grams of cocaine mixtures, and three grams of fentanyl mixtures.
In subsequent searches of Hester’s residence under new warrants, 337 more grams of fentanyl mixtures, 78 rounds of 7.62 caliber ammo, 32 rounds of .22 caliber ammo, and a magazine for a handgun. In his own July 10 guilty plea, Hester admitted the house was used for cutting and selling drugs.
The search of Rogers’ residence turned up 14 rounds of .40 caliber ammo.
If the two plea agreements are accepted by the court, Rogers will serve nine years in prison for attempted murder of a federal officer, while Hester will serve 14 years for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 400 or more grams of fentanyl and 50 or more grams of meth.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.