baltimore drug kingpins

He served many years in federal prison for drug and gun convictions, and was one of the first criminals profiled on the BET program "American Gangster.". What's up Family? At the time, Mr. Williams was serving a 35-year federal sentence for drug distribution. "We used a lot of different people. Last week,. 2023 Southern Maryland News & Entertainment. He was not a bragger. Linwood Rudy Williams, a notorious drug lord from Baltimore who is serving 130 years plus life in prison for operating one of the most violent drug rings in the city's history, speaks to rolling . Baltimore drug kingpin Little Melvin Williams in 1967. Holding court in East Baltimore's gritty neighborhoods and holding fast to his thuglife ideals of "get mine or be mine." The most feared drug dealer and gangster in Charm City, AJ allegedly ordered murders from his prison cell. Maurice Peanut King is a former Baltimore Drug Kingpin. "[B]y the end of that decade he had become a local criminal legend," wrote City Paper in 2013. Police Commissioner Frank Battaglia boasted that the million dollars spent annually on enforcement was absolutely paying off, as the police department had apprehended forty-one high-ranking suppliers while seizing over a million in cash, a million more in property, ninety-nine automobiles, and 1,110 guns. They met with Edward Burns, a former homicide detective who had built a successful case against Mr. Williams and was collaborating at the time with Mr. Simon on "The Wire. Jones ruled over one of the most murderous narcotics organizations in Baltimore history, and was convicted of conspiring to kill rivals, federal witnesses, police informants, and their relatives. The use of heroin during the 1970s transformed into the use crack cocaine in the 1980s and 1990s, and once again resorting back to heroin and opioids as of the 2000s. Barely out of his teens, he built himself a reputation as one of the wealthiest drug lords to come out of New York and the youngest to be charged with the kingpin statute. In making todays announcement, Attorney General Brown thanked Organized Crime Chief Katie Dorian, Assistant Attorney General Megan Greene, Assistant Attorney General Nancy Frigo, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, the Maryland State Police, the Baltimore County Sheriffs Office, Anne Arundel County Police, Howard County Police, the Laurel Police Department, and the Annapolis Police Department. Lochearn, In later years, he said he had undergone a personal redemption. The investigation, which was led by the Drug Enforcement Administrations High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Group 51 with assistance from the Attorney Generals Organized Crime Unit, revealed that at least as early as July 2022 through October 2022, Latrava Kinney, 39; Lawrence Nauls, 45;and Jayson Rhodes, 49, of Houston, Texas were serving as narcotics and money couriers for a national drug traffickingorganization, working in tandem to traffic multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine from Texas to Baltimore County, Maryland. Johnson was sentenced to 156 months in prison. and last updated 2019-10-04 14:39:21-04. Baltimore had a proud history of black entrepreneurship licit and illicit and training programs tried to assist low-income people starting small businesses. (BALTIMORE) - - U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr. sentenced Garnett Gilbert Smith, a/k/a Abdule Jones a/k/a Brian Slack, age 44, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 25 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. In the late 1980s, though, the boys began dealing rock. In addition to the name and the boxing background, for example, in Easy Money, Simon claims that Marlow Bates and Timmirror Stanfield were rivals of Barksdale's. Including the cash seizure in Arkansas, approximately $6.7 million dollars in assets have been seized from Smith. This myopia only leads to more carnage as the players change and the game goes on. The evolution of a West Baltimore youth gang showed how crack changed the urban landscape. Mr. Simon addressed the question in 2004: "Avon Barksdale? Such is heroin's role in the city's history that the recent death at age 73 of "Little Melvin" Williams, the West Baltimore drug kingpin alleged to have grossed $1 million a day before being . A Baltimore Metropolitan Police transport vehicle burns during clashes in Baltimore, Maryland April 27, 2015. Drug czar William Bennett coined the wars motto: Last years hopeless cause is this years revived opportunity for victory.[20]. Editorial Credit: Florida Chuck / Shutterstock.com. [5], Williams began to appear on the HBO show The Wire during the show's second season. While every city had kingpins and people who controlled the trade, every city also had notorious neighborhoods that gained reputations in their city for the wrong reasons. The flow of narcotics and firearms into our communities must stop, said Attorney General Brown. Recent Examples on the Web Led by their kingpin, . His current research focuses on a bottom-up examination of the war on drugs. The streets of East Baltimore are mostly the Latrobe Homes, Perkins Homes, Patterson Park, Highland Town, Barclay, and numerous other blocks. Most recently, Mr. Williams operated an indoor flea market on West North Avenue near Smallwood Street. Towson & Veteran cops believed they could plant the flag while BPD executives pledged to take back the drug corners and hold them.[13] The BPD had been making big busts for years but claimed that this scheme was different because it responded to citizen requests and improved local conditions. Boys Drug Probe Seized Here, Baltimore Sun, April 11, 1987, 5A. While the citys black population is well dispersed throughout the city, like South Baltimores Cherry Hill and Brooklyn, or East Baltimore from Highland Town to Northeasts Ramblewood, West Baltimore has historically been the heart of the city. Baltimore Drug Kingpin Sentenced To 25 Years In Prison Distributed over a ton of cocaine in Baltimore in less than two years; Authorities seized over $6.7 million in luxury cars and motorcycles, jewelry, cash and bank accounts, clothing and real estate BALTIMORE Lawyers pushed back in the money laundering case against prominent defense attorney Ken Ravenell Wednesday, telling jurors to ask "where is the cash?" It comes as the government's key. Schmoke donned a bulletproof vest with community volunteers in a symbolic occupation of drug corners, urging citizens to work with the police. Between early 2010 and October 2011, at least 18 shipments of cocaine, consisting of between 60 to 80 kilograms per trip, had been made using the car carrier method. Nathan Barksdale, 54, the Baltimore drug kingpin who inspired some key characters on HBO's The Wire, died while in a federal medical prison in North Carolina on Saturday . Investigators witnessed Kinney, Nauls, and Rhodes make regular trips from Houston to Baltimore where they would then offload large quantities of narcotics into a safehouse that was being maintained by the organization. [13] David Simon, Making the City Crime-Free, One Neighborhood at a Time, Baltimore Sun, August 11, 1991, 1G. He and other cocaine cowboys lacked the experience and savvy earned in organized crime apprenticeships, making mistakes like not securing stash houses, leaving a paper trail, and hiring indiscriminately violent employees. And they got balls the size of cows! Email Us. At such time as information is received, it is computerized and routed to the appropriate entity or Departmental . Dante Barksdale, 46, who worked as an outreach coordinator for the . The Wylie Funeral Home, 701 N. Mount St., is making funeral arrangements. Perry Hall, Baltimore, MD - A 16-month investigation by the Baltimore OCDETF Strike Force into drug dealing in Baltimore has led to eleven alleged wholesale drug suppliers being charged in a federal indictment for conspiracy, drug distribution, and firearms charges. [7] Scott Shane, Drug Dealing Lures Flood of Teens, Baltimore Sun, August 30 1992: 1A. [15] Baltimore Sun, 13 Arrested After Complaints of Drug Dealing Prompt Raids, September 2, 1994. ADVERTISEMENT Maryland Attorney General. The gated entrances provided additional security from potential law enforcement surveillance. [3] In February 2016, he died from an undisclosed illness at a medical prison in Butner, North Carolina, aged 54. He spoke out against drug use and counseled young men to steer clear of the gang culture. "Sometime in my fifties I became aware that there was a God in charge, and not a Melvin," he said. (LogOut/ As the Inquirer reported from the Badlands, "Many corners are divided into four distinct retail outlets: crack cocaine at $5 a vial; heroin in $10 and $20 bags; power cocaine in 'dime' ($10) and '25-cent' ($25) bags; and cocaine 'in weight' or wholesale amounts of a half-ounce or more." One Baltimore drug dealer named Richard Byrd claims that he did business with top musicians such as Drake, Kanye West, and Diddy to launder money. Disrupting this large-scale, interstate drug trafficking ring is a tremendous step toward restoring peace and public safety, and I thank our partners in this case and applaud their hard work in obtaining these criminal indictments., Illegal drug distribution affects the very foundation of our families and communities so every time we take cocaine and firearms off the street, lives are saved, states Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, of the Washington Division Office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Mr. Williams suffered personal tragedy. A spokesperson for. As police and federal agents began to crack down, by the mid-90s the kingpin model turned into a crew or clique of individuals, even though there were plenty exceptions. [19] Thomas Frazier, A Message to Citizens from the Baltimore Police Department, n.d. but c. February 1997, box 14, Kurt Schmoke Papers, Baltimore City Archives. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown has indicted six people, including drug kingpins, on multiple charges in connection to an interstate cocaine trafficking conspiracy. William Player, a paid informant who worked undercover for law enforcement agencies and wore a concealed . Melvin Williams, whose life as a West Baltimore drug kingpin in the 1960s and post-prison redemption earned him a place in HBO's "The Wire," died Thursday at the University of Maryland Medical Center. 10 firearms, including two assault-style rifles and a fully-automatic Glock 30 handgun; A money counter believed to be used for repackaging the bulk narcotics for street-level distribution. Smith will now spend the prime of his life in prison and will not be eligible for parole until he is a senior citizen, added Tuggle. The takedowns did not put a dent in Baltimores $900 million heroin market, an amount three times what city spent on its schools. Survivors include his wife, Mary Williams; and two daughters. Mr. Simon recalled a meal with Mr. Williams at Moe's Seafood in the Inner Harbor. Deemed a "super kingpin" by law. 2d ago Within a few years of his arrival in South Jamaica, Fat Cat established a drug empire that at one time netted $20 million a year, according to Vanity Fair, selling heroin and cocaine that Nichols. Steven Blackwell of Elkton pleaded guilty . You can make donations by clicking the link below https://www.gofundme.com/tony-2times "Easy Money: Anatomy of a Drug Empire", a series of five articles, was published in the Baltimore Sun in 1987. ", Though Williams promoted the idea of peaceful protest, he saw a long road ahead for Baltimore: "As long as the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, nothing will bring permanent peace and safety to Baltimore or America, because world history teaches us that you cannot keep on robbing, killing and treating people worse than animals and not expect them at some point to fight back. An official website of the United States government. After the service, Melvin went and talked to them. One of the oldest black populations in the country has been in the city of Baltimore since the 1800s, and has been constantly growing year by year ever since. By Jasmine Valentine / Feb. 25, 2023 7:15 am EST. Fans of "The Wire" have long speculated that Mr. Williams was the inspiration for the drug dealer character Avon Barksdale. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Protests tied to the death of Freddie Gray were more muted on their second night. The West Baltimore hoods include places like SandTown, Edmondson Avenue, Walbrook JCT, Whitelock City, McCulloh Homes, Poe Homes, Poplar Grove, Fayette Street, North and Pulaski, Edmondson Village, and much more. Required fields are marked *. BALTIMORE (WJZ) --Gary Creek, the alleged founder of the "Triple-C" gang has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following a 3-hour standoff with police in Georgia. [3] In 2003, he was acquitted of a federal charge of being a felon with a gun. [1] He served time at a Federal Correctional Complex in North Carolina. However, during that time, the Baltimore Sun reports: "Barksdale said he had lapsed back into heroin addiction and had been running a scam to feed his habit. It really doesnt do anything at all but let the police and politicians get on TV.[15]. Since the 1990s, the Baltimore ghetto has a number of old neighborhoods demolished, mainly the old housing projects of Lafayette Court in East Baltimore or the Murphy Homes in West Baltimore, along with numerous dilapidated rowhouses plaguing the inner city. I don't know about you, but I'm sick and tired of the one-dimensional stereotypes about drug dealers. Many owned small businesses and garnered community tolerance through donations, loans, and gifts. Rise of a street boss By. After his release he began working as a . 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Linda L. Kelley Animal Shelter To Hold St. Pitties Day ODopt-A-Thon, Stolen Car Chase Ends In Multiple Arrests With Drugs And Replica Gun Found Inside, Two Juveniles Apprehended By Police After Attempted Car Break-In, Firearm Recovered, Employment Services Offered At St. Marys County Health Hub, Celebrating Womens History Month: St. Marys County Sheriffs Office Highlights Lieutenant Harrison, Commission For Women Announces 2023 Honorees For Womens History Month, Applying For Building Permits Made Easy With Calvert Countys Encompass Online Portal, Motorcyclist Critically Injured After Collision In Anne Arundel County, School Resource Officer Investigating Reports Of 4th Degree Sex Offenses At Westlake High School, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Postal Service. Just north of East Baltimore is the Northeast section with the Baltimore hoods of York Road, Greenmount, Northwoods, Hillen Road, Belair Road, and Ramblewood. Individuals: Azie Faison, Rich Porter, Gangsta Lou, Unique Hall, Fritz Simmons, Ms Tee, Kevin Chiles, Peter Shue, and many others. He was the man in more ways than one- trendsetter, drug dealer, high roller, ladies' man- these were only a few of the titles Peanut King carried. The results in Baltimore and across the hemisphere have been a disaster, however, and criminal justice reformers general unwillingness to speak out about the catastrophic costs of high-level prosecutions have hindered their ability to reduce the harms not only of drug abuse, but of the drug war. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Monday's demonstration turned into a riot, it received a "credible threat" that they had unified and aimed to harm law enforcement, denied any such unification in interviews with, Photos: After Violent Riots, a Calmer Night in Baltimore, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion, Freddie Gray's Death and the Law Cops Hide Behind, 10 Arrested As Baltimore Riot Cops Confront Curfew Breakers With Tear Gas. HBO. Map of different sections and areas of the Baltimore hoods, and not necessarily Baltimore gangs, which includes most parts of the city like East Baltimore, Northeast Baltimore, Park Heights, Cherry Hill, West Baltimore, and parts of Baltimore County. Eventually, Pennsylvania Avenue and Edmondson would become the heart of Baltimores black culture as many lived in neighborhoods like Sandtown, the Bottom, and Upton. Tarrant County Crimestoppers: 469-TIPS. And the kids who are out there today selling drugs are just killing one another. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Parkville, When they didn't do anything but blame the victim and yack about 'thugs and gangs', as they always do, my people took matters in their own hands." 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has been sentenced to life behind bars in a U.S. prison, a humbling end for a drug lord once notorious for his ability to kill, bribe He is in a sense, all of those kingpins from Baltimore's criminal past and therefore none of them.". We simply have to do more for ourselves, Mayor Kurt Schmoke noted at his second inauguration. Authorities made a controlled delivery of the heroin in September. Tommy Lee Canty became a boss in his early twenties, an age when dealers in the past would become lieutenants. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Mr. Williams began attending services at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church more than two decades ago. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), The Drug War in Baltimore: The Failure of the Kingpin Strategy in CharmCity, Two OClock Club sign, Baltimore, Maryland, Public Works Project in City of Baltimore, Patterson Theater sign, Eastern Avenue, Baltimore, Moving Up, Moving Out: The Rise of the Black Middle Class in Chicago, Baltimore (Convention Center Construction), When Baltimore Was Hollywood East: Racial Exclusion and Cultural Development in the1970s, Metropole November Round Up | The Metropole. The cocaine was often hidden within vehicles loaded on car carriers. Homicides peaked at a city record of 353 in 1995. If this claim is anything to go by then, these rappers are in deep sh*t. 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