Judge sentences Clarksburg man to 40 months in federal prison in cocaine trafficking conspiracy 

Norville Clarke pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances

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July 24, 2026 4:41 p.m.

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U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Norville Clarke, 56, of Clarksburg, on Friday to 40 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy, according to a Friday press release from the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Clarke pleaded guilty in March to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. His co-defendant, Daniel Cruz, 39, of Los Angeles, also pleaded guilty in March and is awaiting sentencing.

Bethesda Today called and emailed Clarke’s attorney, Kathryn D’Adamo of the Office of the Federal Defender for the District of Maryland, Friday afternoon seeking comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

According to the news release, Clarke participated in a conspiracy that transported large quantities of cocaine from California to Maryland by concealing the drugs inside shipments of automobile parts.

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The investigation began in 2023 after the Maryland State Police intercepted a package containing about two kilograms of cocaine mailed from the Los Angeles area to Clarke’s auto repair shop in Prince George’s County, according to the news release..

Investigators later linked Cruz to the shipment and, in January 2024, identified another freight shipment headed from California to the same business. Authorities said surveillance footage showed Cruz dropping off the shipment in California before flying to Maryland to monitor its delivery, according to the news release.

Law enforcement intercepted the shipment in Dulles, Virginia, when a K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics. After obtaining a search warrant, investigators found two automobile transmissions containing 20 one-kilogram bricks of cocaine inside the oil pans. Laboratory testing confirmed the shipment contained more than 16 kilograms of cocaine, according to the news release.

Authorities then searched Clarke’s auto repair shop, his Clarksburg home and Cruz’s hotel room in Prince George’s County. Investigators seized an additional 502.4 grams of cocaine from the repair shop and two more kilograms of cocaine, along with $45,730 in cash, from Clarke’s home, according to the news release.

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Investigators also identified nine earlier freight shipments they said followed the same pattern as the intercepted delivery. As part of their plea agreements, Clarke and Cruz admitted responsibility for possessing nearly 22 kilograms of cocaine in furtherance of the conspiracy, according to the news release.

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine