FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
MAY 7, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ARMED PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY COCAINE DEALER
SENTENCED TO 27 YEARS IN PRISON ON FEDERAL CHARGES
Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. sentenced Evans Ray, Jr., age 47, of Ft. Washington, Maryland, today to 27 years in prison following his March 2, 2007 trial conviction by a federal jury on charges of distributing crack cocaine and being a felon in possession of a gun, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said, "Thanks to outstanding work by DEA, FBI and local law enforcement officers, Mr. Ray will spend the next 27 years exiled in federal prison."
According to trial testimony, on July 20, 2004 Ray arranged to sell drugs to an informant. Ray drove to a Prince George’s County shopping center and picked up the informant, who wore a recording device, in the parking lot. Once in the car, Ray drove a block away, gave the informant 60 grams of crack cocaine in exchange for $1,900 and returned the informant to the parking lot.
Ray was arrested at his home on December 16, 2004. A loaded gun was seized from a black jacket that Ray was seen wearing minutes before law enforcement officers entered his home to execute a search warrant, and another loaded gun was found under the mattress in Ray’s bedroom along with a fully loaded clip. A digital scale containing trace amounts of cocaine was also found in the kitchen.
The following individuals have also been convicted or sentenced in this or related cases.
On January 30, 2007, co-defendants Christopher Hall, age 44, of Brandywine, Maryland and William L. Handy, age 43, of Redondo Beach, California, were convicted at trial by a federal jury of conspiracy to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine shipped from California to Maryland and related offenses. They were sentenced on April 13, 2007 to 25 and 30 years, respectively, in prison, without parole. On March 1, 2007, co-defendant Richard D. Briscoe, age 40, of Laurel, Maryland pleaded guilty to participating in the drug conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18, 2007.
On February 26, 2007, Stevie Burton, age 43, of Forestville, Maryland, was sentenced to 352 months in prison for participating in a narcotics conspiracy and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Baron Watkins, age 42 of Suitland, Maryland and Anthony Jones, age 36 of, Forestville, Maryland were sentenced to 188 months in prison and 135 months in prison, respectively, followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to participating in the narcotics conspiracy. Issac Belt, age 26 of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was sentenced to 151 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to related narcotics charges.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein expressed his appreciation to the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Maryland State Police and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their investigative work in this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case. He praised case agents Thomas Hickey, Cheyvoryea Gibson, and Timothy Stranahan for their assistance with the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorneys Bryan Foreman and Sandra Wilkinson, and Special Assistant United States Attorney, Del Wright, Jr., who prosecuted the cases.