Berlin man pleads guilty to distribution of cocaine

BALTIMORE, Md. – A Berlin man has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a drug investigation that began in 2018.

49-year-old Marcus Pitts pleaded guilty on Friday to possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine.

According to Pitts’ guilty plea, in September 2018, members of the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team were investigating Pitts for suspected drug distribution. Investigators were conducting surveillance at Pitts’ residence when they saw a suspected drug user go into the residence, come out a short time later, and then drive away. Investigators then stopped the vehicle and found a glass smoking pipe and a small amount of cocaine, which the person reportedly acknowledged he had just purchased from Pitts.

On September 14, 2018, detectives executed a search warrant at Pitts’ residence, where they recovered approximately 396 grams of crack cocaine, baking soda, a glass pyrex dish, plastic baggies, an empty digital scale box, three cell phones, and $1,472 in cash. An additional cell phone was also recovered from Pitts outside the residence, which was searched and revealed numerous text messages indicating that Pitts was involved in trafficking crack cocaine.

Pitts was released from custody on bail on September 24, 2018, and was arrested on a federal arrest warrant on January 2, 2019. At the time of his arrest, police say Pitts was in possession of a bag of crack cocaine, which he reportedly tried to throw away as police approached. Investigators recovered a cell phone from Pitts’ vehicle, which was found to contain text messages indicating that Pitts continued distributing crack cocaine while he was released from state custody on bail.

Pitts and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Pitts will be sentenced to seven years in federal prison. Sentencing has been scheduled for June 17, 2022.