Andrea Smith is of counsel at Silverman Thompson and focuses on criminal matters in the state courts in Maryland.
From March, 1981 to September, 1990, Ms. Smith served as an Assistant State’s Attorney with the Office of the States’s Attorney for Baltimore City, Maryland. During her first year as a Baltimore City prosecutor, she was located at the southeastern district of the Baltimore City Police Department prosecuting misdemeanors to include assaults, drug possessions, thefts, and motor vehicle violations. Ms. Smith spent the next two years in the Sex Offense Task Force investigating and prosecuting rape and child molestation cases. Between 1984 and 1990, Ms. Smith was assigned to the Narcotics Investigations Unit. Her responsibilities included a weekly docket of 40 to 60 felony possession and distribution cases, and participation in long term investigations involving undercover operations and wiretaps. During this time, several of these local investigations became federal cases, and Ms. Smith was sworn in as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Maryland to prosecute these cases in the federal court.
In September of 1990, Ms. Smith joined the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland as an Assistant United States Attorney. She was assigned to Narcotics Enforcement. In January 1995, Ms. Smith was named Deputy Chief of the Violent Crimes and Narcotics Section, Asset Forfeiture Chief, and Director of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) for the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. Except for a period between 1998 and 2001, Ms. Smith managed the OCDETF program for more than 20 years until she retired from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in September of 2016. As Director of the OCDETF program, she managed a multimillion-dollar fund from the Department of Justice that provided overtime pay to state and local law enforcement who investigated multi-jurisdictional, complex narcotics and money laundering organizations in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies. The Mid-Atlantic Region included ten federal judicial districts in Pennsylvania, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. Her responsibilities included chairing bi-weekly meetings with her regional counterparts from the FBI, DEA, IRS, ATF, Homeland Security, U.S. Marshals, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. This committee was responsible for approving the initiation of cases, reviewing their progress, quashing inter-agency disputes, and managing the overtime fund. Her responsibilities included liaison work with the other eight regional directors across the country, the Department of Justice, and law enforcement agency chiefs.
While managing the OCDETF program, Ms. Smith continued to investigate and prosecute complex narcotics cases, including multi-national and local narcotics and money laundering organizations, and street gangs. Criminal acts committed by these groups included narcotics trafficking, money laundering, murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery, home invasion, carjacking, arson, kidnapping, extortion, fraud, and corruption. During this time, Ms. Smith served as a supervisor within the Office of the U.S. Attorney and mentored new attorneys.
- University of Baltimore Law School - J.D. - 1980
- The George Washington University - B.A. - 1977
- Criminal Defense
- Small Claims
- Landlord / Tenant Disputes
- United States v. Canty, et al, Criminal No. JFM-89-0391: This case involved the first wiretap in Maryland on a cellular/wireless telephone, and the first federal kingpin (continuing criminal enterprise) prosecution and conviction. The evidence at trial established that the organization operated in Baltimore maintaining sources of heroin and cocaine supply in New York, Florida, and California. Sixty-three defendants were initially indicted. Fifteen defendants proceeded to trial in U.S. District Court on April 2, 1990. Two pleaded during trial. Thirteen remaining defendants were convicted on all counts following 16 weeks of trial. All convictions were affirmed on appeal, 979 F.2d 849 (4th Cir. 1992).
- United States v. Linwood “Rudy” Williams, et al, Criminal No K-90-135: Rudy Williams was a notorious drug lord of a violent heroin operation in Baltimore operating from approximately 1986 to 1990. Sources of his heroin included West Africa and New York. The evidence at trial reflected that Williams had beaten several state prosecutions through intimidation of witnesses and jury tampering. He and eight co-defendants were convicted following 14 weeks of trial in U.S. District Court. All convictions and Williams’ life sentences were affirmed on appeal, 14 F.3d 598 (4th Cir. 1993).
- United States v. David Moe Robinson, Criminal No. JFM-92-0051: Robinson was a crack dealer who lived with his co-defendant mother, Alfreda Robinson, in Owings Mills, Maryland. Mrs. Robinson was employed as a guidance counselor in a Baltimore high school. The evidence at trial established that when a sixteen year old who sold crack for Robinson owed $16,000 and was too slow in repaying the debt, Robinson fired a gun through the wall of the teenager’s home as a warning to pay up. When Robinson was incarcerated, his mother began attempting to collect the debt. Mom also made straw purchases of firearms for her son who was prohibited from owning a firearm due to earlier drug convictions. Both were prosecuted. Their convictions were affirmed on appeal, 33 F.3d 53 (4th Cir. 1994).
- United States v. Mumin Sahib Abdullah, et al, Criminal No. JFM-93-0419: This was the prosecution of a violent group of defendants, the Strong As Steel gang, who according to the evidence in court, were committing home invasion armed robberies dressed as Baltimore City Police. They would rob other drug dealers of their drugs and money, and on at least one occasion tortured the resident with a buck knife heated on the stove. In furtherance of their activities, they burned down a dry cleaning business whose owner complained about the drug trafficking on the street in front of his west Baltimore shop. They committed commercial burglaries, money laundering and murder. The wife of one defendant was also convicted for money laundering. Convictions were affirmed on appeal, 87 F.3d 1310 (4th Cir. 1996); 903 F. Supp. 913 (1997).
- United States v. Baumgarten, et al, Criminal No. CCB-96-0483: John Baumgarten, Sr., and his two sons, John, Jr., and Anthony, were convicted of trafficking kilogram quantities of cocaine from a source in southern Florida. This tight-knit family operated in the small Anne Arundel County community of Cape St. Claire, and used numerous others, including teenagers, to actually handle the drugs. According to the evidence produced during eight weeks of trial, the Baumgartens kept neighbors from complaining to the police through violence and intimidation. Evidence included drug distribution, an assault with a baseball bat, mortgage fraud, money laundering and perjury. This was a seven year investigation because the Baumgartens were heavily insulated from outsiders and never spoke on the telephone. Their convictions were affirmed on appeal, 205 F.3d 1335 (4th Cir. 2000).
- United States v. Stover Stockton, et al, Criminal No. MJG-99-0352: Stover Stockton, Levi Johnson, and Rolando Stockton operated a violent street heroin operation in the Park Heights section of northwest Baltimore. Evidence at trial established drug trafficking, beatings, shootings, and a murder. Their convictions were affirmed on appeal, 71 Fed. Appx. 200 )(4th Cir.); 349 F.3d 755 (4th Cir. 2003).
- United States v. Edward “Liddy” Jones, et al, Criminal No. WMN-98-0048: This case involved a drug organization operating inside the Baltimore City Jail. Jones and three defendants went to trial. Jones was a well known drug trafficker from the 1970s. All convictions were affirmed on appeal, 17 Fed. Appx. 240 (4th Cir. 2001).
- United States v. Michael Branch, Criminal No, CCB-05-0016: Branch was a crack cocaine dealer in Anne Arundel County. His firearm and drug conviction was confirmed on appeal, 537 F.3d 328 (4th Cir. 2008).
- United States v. Aaron Demarco Foster, et al, Criminal No. CCB-02-410: Foster, Michael Taylor, Keon Moses and others were self-identified as Lexington Terrace Boys, a street gang that sold heroin in the blocks immediately west of the University of Maryland hospital campus. Evidence at trial covered the mid-90’s through 2002 and established years of street level drug trafficking, the commission of approximately a dozen murders, many aggravated assaults, shootings, a car jacking, and home invasions, by one or more of these defendants. Several of the murders were committed to prevent the testimony of witnesses to the preceding murder. The trial in this matter lasted 17 weeks. The convictions and life sentences were affirmed on appeal, 507 F.3d 2333(4th Cir. 2007).
- United States v. Solothal “Itchyman” Thomas, et al, Criminal No. CCB-04-0232: Thomas and co-defendant Eduardo Countess were convicted following a trial where the evidence established that they committed an execution murder for hire. The defendants ambushed the victim at 7:00 am on fall morning in Baltimore County, Maryland, by shooting him 15 times as he started his car to go to work. They were paid $10,000. These convictions and life sentences were affirmed on appeal, 282 Fed. Appx. 244 (4th Cir. 2008).
- United States v. Calvin Savoy, Criminal No. AMD-05-0415: Savoy, known to friends as “40 Cal” was prosecuted as a member of a violent drug organization operating in the Pioneer City section of Anne Arundel County. In addition to dealing crack, Savoy and other members of the gang committed a car jacking, beatings and shootings. On September 11, 2004, Savoy was in a disorderly crowd of persons outside of a club in Odenton. The first responding officer was attempting to restore order, and approached a man who was firing a gun into the air. That man took off running. As the officer chased the armed individual, Savoy grabbed a gun and shot at the officer who was hit in the arm. The life sentence was affirmed on appeal, 315 Fed. Appx. (4th Cir. 2009).
- United States v. Steven Sodipo, et al, Criminal No. BEL-06-0444: Sodipo and co-defendant, Calixtus Nwaehiri, were pharmacists in a brick and mortar pharmacy in east Baltimore, NewCare Pharmacy. The practice was primarily a “closed door pharmacy” catering to long term care facilities and nursing homes. Sometime in 2005, NewCare began to fill prescriptions for hydrocodone (sold as Vicodin, Lortab, etc.), a highly addictive narcotic opioid pain killer, issued over the internet by doctors primarily in Florida, for patients located in all 50 states. DEA records reflected that in 2003 and 2004, NewCare purchased no more than 9,000 doses of hydrocodone for distribution to its patients. In the twenty-two month period beginning in 2005, NewCare purchased approximately 10 million doses of hydrocodone for distribution over the internet. At least two of their patients died from poly-drug overdoses which included drugs obtained from NewCare. Their convictions were affirmed on appeal, 467 Fed. Appx. 161 (4th Cir. 2012).
- United States v. Nery Ramos Duarte, Criminal No. AW-10-0308: The defendant was caught with more than $1 million in cash in a hidden compartment driving across the United States in route to Guatemala. Evidence linked this defendant and the cash to an international heroin and cocaine organization operating in Maryland, Connecticut, Chicago, California, and other locations across the United States, for more than a decade. This organization also used cash money service businesses to transport millions of dollars out of the United States back to Guatemala. The conviction was affirmed on appeal, 581 Fed. Appx. 254 (4th Cir. 2014).
- United States v. Andre Roach, Criminal No. JFM-11-0526: This investigation resulted in the indictment of 36 defendants from across Maryland including Cumberland, Frederick, Baltimore City, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Queen Anne’s County and Salisbury. The defendants were all members of the Southside Brims, a Bloods gang originating in California. All 36 defendants pleaded guilty, all admitting to drug trafficking, and many admitting to possessing firearms, shootings, and murder.
- United States v. Kerem Dayi, Criminal No. JKB-13-0012: Dayi and more than twenty co-defendants were charged with running a nationwide marijuana distribution and money laundering operation out of a warehouse in Jessup, Maryland. Dayi operated a legitimate sports apparel E-Bay business, and used the business to launder the illegal proceeds and facilitate the distribution of the marijuana. All but three defendants pleaded guilty. Three defendants went to trial: One was a New Jersey police officer who rode shotgun guarding the delivery of hundreds of thousands of dollars back to the sources of marijuana supply for the organization. The only appeal filed was Charles Thomson, a 60 year old Viet Nam veteran who was convicted for his role transporting hundreds of pounds of marijuana from California to Maryland for the organization. His conviction was affirmed on appeal, 634 Fed. Appx. 100 (4th Cir. 2016).