The U.S. Marshals Service’s Fugitive Task Force is on the hunt for a Maryland man accused of running large amounts of drugs up and down the East Coast, and they are asking the public for information that can lead to his arrest.
Thirty-five-year-old Austin Roberts has an interest in the rap music industry and has ties from New York to Florida. In June, he was indicted in a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation on charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine in Baltimore, and he is wanted in Wicomico County for distribution of narcotics and being a suspected drug kingpin, marshals officials said.
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The task force has captured all of Roberts’ co-conspirators and put in a tremendous amount of time and effort into finding Roberts, said Inspector Matt Burke of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force.
“He’s just been lucky and he’s just slipped away on a couple of occasions,” Burke said.
In July, Roberts was stopped by the New Jersey State Police for traffic violations on the New Jersey Turnpike. He provided a fake ID in the name of John Nash, then fled on foot across all lanes of traffic into a wooded area, Burke said.
He hasn’t been seen since.
Marshals deputies are turning to the readers of The Washington Examiner for help. Last week, a tipster in North Carolina who read The Examiner online helped capture two D.C. gang members wanted in connection with homicides in Northwest Washington.
“Roberts could be anywhere on the East Coast,” Burke said. “We want the reach of The Examiners’ online readership, in particular, because Roberts is likely outside the greater Washington area.”
Roberts has lived in the District, Elkridge, Baltimore and Salisbury, Md. He is 6 feet tall and 230 pounds with a distinctive gold tooth and a tattoo on his left arm. He is considered a gym rat and an avid weight lifter.
Roberts has a long history of arrests for distributing narcotics, resisting arrest, attempted murder, and weapons offenses.
Anyone with information about Roberts should call 301-489-1705.
Federal authorities have credited readers of The Examiner with the capture of 39 fugitives since 2008 — including convicted murderers, kidnappers, child sex offenders, rapists and scam artists.
