Found a Girl, Took Down a Kingpin—With God’s Help

People tried to rob me as a child,” Maurice Hicks said. “Even walking to the mailbox was a calculated risk. Walking to the corner store you could be robbed, shot or stabbed. I’d pray to God, ‘Give me wisdom of discernment to make sense of all this. How can we come out of this environment and try to make a difference in this world?’”

Murderers, drug dealers, rapists – Maurice Hicks committed his life to put away the worst of the worst and bring justice to his community. At the heart of it all has been his faith in God.

“Growing up in Baltimore, I would go to my backyard, and I would see people shooting up heroin, selling heroin,” Maurice said. “We pretty much lived under siege. I became very frustrated. ‘How can I make a difference?’ But my grandfather gave me a glimmer of hope. He told me about my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I saw the power of prayer. I knew to go to God and He would guide me through.”

After serving in the Marines, Maurice joined the Baltimore Police Department where he quickly found that his trust in God gave him an edge.

“I pray to God, ‘Please, give me wisdom, Heavenly Father,’ Maurice said. “I saw four young men walking toward the projects. One was in front of them, and he was carrying a bag. God led me to believe that something wasn't right. I shoved my partner, and I said, ‘Somethings not right with these guys.’ So, he says, ‘Okay,’ and we started following them through the projects. They were terrified once we made eye contact with them, and they started running.
‘Something's not right! What is in that bag?’ So, we chased these young men. Finally, they dropped this bag. We unzipped it and it was full of Molotov cocktails. They were going to firebomb someone’s house. I was able to save I don't know how many people that day in the projects. That was powerful. And I started getting more respect from my colleagues. They said, ‘This kid has enormous instincts.’ But it was God leading me.”

As he climbed the ranks to become a detective and then promoted to spearhead an FBI taskforce, a local drug kingpin was killing his way to the top of the criminal underworld. After 10 years of investigating, Maurice had what he needed to put the kingpin away for good, but then the trial hit a snag – a piece of evidence didn’t have the needed corroboration.

“The kingpin had this superb attorney that was going to take advantage of this opportunity,” Maurice said. ‘Lord, please, what do I do?’ I prayed that night. Then it came to me, and it was about 3:30 in the morning. We had done a search warrant and seized drugs. There was a lady there at the time we did the raid. God told me, ‘Subpoena the woman who was in there.’ So, we were able to subpoena her to testify and link the drugs to this particular individual. I felt elated. I'm no lawyer, you know. With all the legal complications involved in the case and for God to give me the answer, it was just phenomenal. It was just unbelievable.”

But then the unthinkable happened, Maurice’s brother was shot down in the streets of Baltimore – the murderer was never caught.

“Shook me to the core,” Maurice said. “While I was out solving other people’s problems, trying to make the community safe, my baby brother was murdered at the age of 17. It just took me in a dark place. And I asked God, ‘Please help me find purpose in this pain.’”

After 20 years on the force, he moved to Las Vegas to pursue a career in Private Investigation, believing he could better help people on his own without the red tape. He was soon tasked with finding a missing girl who was addicted to heroin – and the clock was ticking. The friend she ran away with was already found dead from an overdose.

“I had this enormous burden on me,” Maurice said. “I've never worked a missing person case before. I remember praying, ‘God, please, I want to give this family peace. Give me the wisdom of how to find this woman. It's a needle in a haystack.’ So, I set out to try to find her, and I took a page from my police background – I got out on foot.”

He went into the dregs of the city speaking to dozens of people, anywhere he thought an addict might go, establishing relationships and giving out his phone number – until finally a breakthrough.

“Easter Sunday morning, get a call at 5 on the nose from somebody who saw their daughter,” Maurice said. “So, I raced to the house, sideswiped a pole on my way. I mean I’m flying. ‘Here she is!’ So, they take her back to Pheonix. She joins a Christian rehab. Today, she just opened her second rehab center. Yeah, she got clean and she's making a tremendous difference in this world. You know, I sought God, and He delivered. I found my calling again.”

Maurice wrote a book about his journey in law enforcement, “Looking for Trouble,” and continues to serve people as a private investigator, now back in Baltimore. For all his success, he gives God the glory.

“In times of trouble, there's Someone there to guide you,” Maurice said. No matter how difficult, no matter how low you feel. I’ve felt knee-high to a grasshopper a lot of my life, but God has a purpose for all of us. No matter what you’re faced with, you can go to God and He can guide you through it. Have a relationship with God, believe in the power of prayer, because a man can plan is steps, but the Lord determines all outcomes.”
 

To purchase the book Looking for Trouble click the LINK!