Baltimore, Maryland – A 36-year-old Anne Arundel County man has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for his role in a major drug trafficking organization that flooded the Annapolis area with fentanyl, cocaine, and other dangerous substances.
U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox imposed the sentence on Kelly Bowers following his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. The announcement came from U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland, joined by Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul of the FBI Baltimore Field Office, Chief Amal E. Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and Chief Edward Jackson of the Annapolis Police Department.
Investigators first identified Bowers in August 2022 as a key member of the Newtowne 20 DTO, a drug trafficking organization that supplied illicit drugs throughout the Annapolis region. Federal authorities obtained court-authorized wiretaps on the phones and devices of DTO members, capturing numerous conversations that pinpointed Bowers and others in the network. These intercepts revealed Bowers as one of the group’s primary distributors, handling sales to customers and coordinating with co-conspirators.
Surveillance efforts culminated in a critical observation on November 27, 2023, when Anne Arundel County police watched Bowers conduct a hand-to-hand drug transaction in Annapolis. Officers stopped the buyer and recovered drugs that tested positive for cocaine. During a subsequent traffic stop on Bowers’ vehicle, authorities seized additional cocaine and found him in possession of fentanyl.
The investigation built toward a coordinated takedown on January 25, 2024, when agents executed search warrants at eight locations and four vehicles tied to the organization, along with arrest warrants for multiple individuals. Searches yielded various drugs from three sites and one firearm from a co-conspirator’s residence.
Bowers’ case forms part of a broader effort against the Newtowne 20 DTO. Other members have faced sentencing or pleas in recent months, including Leonard Simms (57 months on July 1, 2025), Amber Naylor (time served on June 3, 2025), Raheem Allsup (48 months on May 9, 2025), and Keith Williams (68 months on November 19, 2024). Isiah Naylor pleaded guilty on May 23, 2025.
This prosecution aligns with the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, launched under Executive Order 14159 to combat criminal cartels, transnational organizations, and related crimes fueling violence and instability. The task force emphasizes interagency collaboration among federal, state, and local partners, with a focus on prosecuting offenses involving children and removing violent criminal aliens. In Baltimore, the effort involves multiple agencies led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
U.S. Attorney Hayes praised the investigative teamwork, stating appreciation for the FBI, Anne Arundel County Police Department, and Annapolis Police Department. She also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaRai Everett and Jon Tsuei for prosecuting the case.
The sentence underscores ongoing federal and local commitments to disrupting drug networks that distribute highly lethal substances like fentanyl in communities across Maryland.
