Dozens of kilograms of cocaine were seized. 

By Zak Failla From Daily Voice

A Baltimore man will spend more than a decade in prison after an episode of "The Wire" played out in real life and he was busted hauling 75 kilos of cocaine in duffel bags during a sting at National Harbor.

Desmond Jones, 45, pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances after a yearlong federal investigation into a Baltimore drug trafficking organization.

On Wednesday, federal authorities announced that Jones has been sentenced to 13 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

According to court documents, Jones wasn’t just dabbling — he was tied directly to a California supplier who helped funnel bulk shipments of cocaine to the East Coast.

Starting in August 2023, federal agents began tracking Jones as he made suspicious drop-offs at a Baltimore residence tied to the conspiracy. 

Investigators said they saw him show up with “weighted-down bags” and leave with much smaller ones, while his partner was spotted depositing large amounts of cash.

On Aug. 30, investigators set up surveillance as the California supplier flew into BWI and met up with Jones. 

The pair drove to a stash location in Timonium, then to a park-and-ride lot at National Harbor for a handoff.

When Jones and his co-conspirator started unloading duffel bags from a Dodge Ram, federal agents swooped in. One bag had torn open — inside were kilo-sized packages of cocaine in plain sight.

In all, agents recovered 32 kilos on the spot and later tied Jones to 75 kilos total in the scheme.

The stash house in Timonium looked like a small factory, investigators said, with drug-processing gear including kilo presses, sifters, digital scales, cutting agents, and quick cappers. 

Two guns — including one with its serial number obliterated — were seized along with cash, marijuana, a money counter, and Jones’s personal documents.

Jones admitted in his plea that he was responsible for 75 kilos of cocaine.  He had faced life in prison.