Kentlands-Area Cocaine Dealer Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Prison

GREENBELT, MD—U.S. District Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. sentenced Xavier Eccleston, age 35, of Bethesda, Maryland, today to 210 months in prison, followed by eight years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute powder and crack cocaine, and four counts of possession with intent to distribute the drugs and use of a telephone to further the drug activity.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Brisolari of the Drug Enforcement Administration-Washington Field Division; Acting Assistant Director in Charge Debra Evans Smith of the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Washington Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Sheila Olander of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office; Chief Mark A. Magaw of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks.

According to evidence presented during the six-day trial, from June 2010 to September 2011, Eccleston purchased ounce quantities of powder cocaine from his suppliers in the Kentlands area of Prince George’s County, Maryland, including a crack house located at the Eaton Square apartment complex on Sheriff Road in Landover, Maryland. Eccleston socialized with co-conspirators who also sold crack cocaine and knew of such sales. The jury had found Eccleston responsible for re-distributing between 500 grams and five kilograms of powder cocaine and 28 grams of crack cocaine per month during the 16-month conspiracy, using a telephone at times to arrange the drug sales.

A cooperating witnesses testified that Eccleston had assaulted him and threatened the cooperator’s family unless the cooperating witness agreed to lie to the jury and testify that Eccleston was only a user of cocaine and not a distributor. Judge Williams also enhanced Eccleston’s sentence upon finding that he obstructed justice.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the DEA, FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Prince George’s County Police Department, and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys David I. Salem and Jonathan Lenzner, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.