Maryland State Police officer with Hagerstown ties accused of leaking drug case info for money

A Maryland State Police corporal who occasionally works out of the Hagerstown barrack was arrested Saturday for allegedly leaking case information and abetting an illegal drug operation, according to federal court documents.

Justin Ernest Riggs, 33, was arrested Saturday and is accused of leaking information to a drug trafficking organization in exchange for money, according to a partially redacted affidavit filed Monday through the U.S. District Court in Baltimore.

Riggs faces up to 29 years in federal prison on three federal charges, including up to 20 years for conspiracy to distribute drugs, according to court documents and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland.

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Among the details in the affidavit are a ruse authorities set up with an informant to obtain information from Riggs in exchange for $1,800 left last Thursday behind dumpsters to the rear of the Red Roof Inn in Williamsport. After the FBI-provided money was picked up, Riggs messaged the FBI informant, "What else do you need."

"Drug Distributor 1 responded, again at the direction of investigators: 'run one of my dudes for a warrant' and Riggs responded 'Okay I can do that,'" according to the affidavit. Riggs allegedly responded the next day that the person had no warrants and confirmed he got the money.

Riggs, an almost 11-year veteran with state police, is charged with conspiracy to distribute drugs, use of interstate facilities to commit bribery, and using a communication facility to commit a drug felony, specifically aiding and abetting in the distribution of illegal drugs, according to the affidavit filed Monday.

Riggs was assigned to the Western Region Enforcement — Narcotics Section, or WRENS, the affidavit states. He also has been assigned to multiple patrol and investigative units during his career. As a part of WRENS, Riggs was part of a squad that helped with controlled purchases for the state police investigation of the drug trafficking organization.

His duties with the Criminal Enforcement Division occasionally had Riggs working out of the Hagerstown barrack, according to Maryland State Police.

Maryland State Police spokesperson Elena Russo confirmed Riggs is the same Trooper Justin Riggs who was featured in a June 2014 Frederick News-Post story. At the time of the story, Riggs was working out of the Salisbury, Md., barrack. The story also notes Riggs was a 2007 graduate of Middletown High School in Frederick County, where he played football.

Riggs has been suspended without pay as a result of his arrest on federal charges, according to a statement from the Maryland State Police.

The state police's Internal Affairs Division has initiated an administrative investigation, the release states. Due to that investigation, state police cannot comment further on the criminal arrest.

Riggs' Baltimore-based defense attorney, Craig Kadish, could not immediately be reached Tuesday for comment.

Riggs is scheduled to have a detention hearing in Baltimore on Friday. Pending that hearing, he was to be held in custody by the U.S. Marshals Service, according to court records.

Maryland State Police officer allegedly shared sensitive info

According to the affidavit, Riggs has over $67,000 in debt, not including his mortgage and vehicle and educational loans. The five credit cards investigators found through a credit report on Riggs were at or over their credit limit with a total obligation of $34,000 and a minimum monthly payment due of $1,385.

The affidavit was filed by a Baltimore Police Department officer who is a member of the FBI Public and Border Corruption Task Force and was deputized by the marshals service and FBI. The officer notes the affidavit includes information to show sufficient probable cause for a criminal complaint, but does not include all his knowledge of the case.

Last August, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Investigations joined a state police investigation of a drug trafficking organization, the affidavit states.

Bookended by redacted parts of the affidavit was a statement that the person believed by investigators to be Riggs "informed Drug Distributor 1 that he was a member of federal law enforcement" and wanted money for information. The specific dollar amount was blacked out in the affidavit.

The messages contained sensitive information, including the existence of an investigation targeting Drug Distributor 1, the presence of a tracking device, details of an aborted attempt to put another tracker on the distributor's vehicle, and the presence of an informant within the drug trafficking organization.

"Drug Distributor 1 said that the individual who contacted him was looking for (a redacted amount of money) for 'everything,' including 'serious info and proof of whose doing you all real dirty,'" the affidavit states. The individual, believed by investigators to be Riggs, also informed the distributor there was a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, investigation of the distributor and another person.

The FBI joined the investigation on Dec. 24 to help identify who was leaking information to the drug distributor.

Money drop and texts between Riggs and drug distributor

Starting Dec. 30, the drug distributor began communicating with the person believed to be Riggs through Facebook Messenger using a newly subscribed Facebook account, with the distributor talking to Riggs about potentially being fed lies and saying, "I can't get that kind of money but I want answers man. Give me something $$$."

Riggs allegedly responded Jan. 2, starting to negotiate a price through the next day, the affidavit states.

Part of a transcribed Jan. 3 communication between the distributor and, allegedly, Riggs, notes that Riggs states: "So the one who is putting this case on you drives (redacted). A good way to get him would be to sell him fake shit and later on ask him how it was," the affidavit states.

"If you make the 1500 drop then I'll just give ya the rest of the info and you can make the 300 drop. Every buy he's done hasbeen recorded. The audio conversations have been recorded. But he plans on testifying on ya..." the affidavit states Riggs messaged the drug distributor.

Earlier in that conversation Riggs suggests the distributor put the money in a grocery bag and drop it off in Smithsburg by a small footbridge across from an old cabin.

On Jan. 3, as part of a ruse directed by FBI investigators, the WRENS team was informed there would be a meeting about the investigation that would involve a wiretap starting, the affidavit states. Riggs was the only one of four troopers on the team who was not aware there was an FBI investigation into the info leak to the drug distributor.

Another transcribed communication between Riggs and the drug distributor on Jan. 3 shows Riggs telling the distributor there's a wiretap going on the distributor's phone and search warrants will be executed on the distributor's home and dealer spots, the affidavit states.

"There's about tenfolds more info but that all requires more money," Riggs allegedly messaged the drug distributor.

Later that Tuesday, the drug distributor informed Riggs he left $1,800 behind the dumpsters to the rear of the Williamsport Red Roof Inn, the affidavit states.

Last Wednesday, a federal magistrate judge authorized search and seizure warrants, including one for real-time location data for a phone for "subject telephone 2."

Thursday morning, the FBI put $1,800 of money it provided behind the dumpsters with the area under surveillance.

The drug distributor messaged Riggs the money was there and almost 2 hours later, around 9:52 a.m., a silver Nissan stops near the dumpsters and a male driver exits, goes behind the dumpsters, bends over and reaches toward the ground where the money was hidden, the affidavit states. These details are in a partially redacted section of the affidavit which earlier noted Riggs drives a state police-issued silver 2020 Nissan Pathfinder. The male drove away and the FBI confirmed the money was no longer behind the dumpster. No one else had been in that area while the money was hidden there.

Around 10:20 a.m., Riggs messaged the drug distributor asking what else was needed, the affidavit states.

Around 10:49 a.m. the location data for subject phone 2 showed the phone was likely less than 2,000 feet from mile marker 27 on Interstate 70, the affidavit states. That's about the halfway point between the inn and the Hagerstown barrack where Riggs was on duty that morning. The affidavit notes that the Hagerstown barrack was "Riggs' assigned duty station."

Responding to Riggs' asking the distributor what else was needed, and at the direction of the investigators, the distributor messaged Riggs to see if there was a warrant on someone.

With several parts of the affidavit redacted, it's not clear when the drug distributor started working with investigators.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 11:52 a.m. on Jan. 12, 2023, to clarify Riggs' connection to the state police barrack in the Hagerstown area.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: MSP officer could face up to 30 years for leaking case tips