AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885

OCTOBER 11, 2007

LEADER OF BALTIMORE HEROIN RING SENTENCED TO OVER 17 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON

Baltimore, Maryland - Chief U.S. District Judge Benson E. Legg sentenced Samuel Price, a/k/a “Mook,” age 25, of Baltimore today to 210 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute over one kilogram of heroin, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to his guilty plea, from at least 1997 until 2005, Price was part of a drug organization which included Michael Frasier a/k/a “Mike-Mike,” Javon Brewer a/k/a “JB,” Steven Boyd a/k/a “Beans” or “Bino,” Eric Davis a/k/a “E,” James Stewart a/k/a “E-Bay,” Lamont Jones a/k/a “L” and Katie Eggleston. During the time of the conspiracy, the drug organization sold at least 30 kilograms of heroin at the street level in west and south Baltimore City and maintained open air drug markets or “drug shops” at various locations in Baltimore City, including the intersections of Baltimore and Gilmor Streets, Baltimore and Carey Streets, Baltimore and Carrollton Streets, Frederick and Fulton Avenues, and West Fayette and Gilmor Streets. They used trade names such as “Hypnotic” and “Chocolate City” for the heroin that was sold at these locations. Members of the organization performed various duties and paid individuals to perform such duties, including those of (1) “street lieutenants” who oversaw the operation of the shops, collection of the drug proceeds, and replenishment of the drug supplies; (2) “runners” who went back and forth from drug stashes to the shop locations bringing additional drug supplies; (3) “pitchers” and “hitters” who served customers with drugs; and (4) “lookouts” who warned their co-conspirators distributing narcotics on the street if law enforcement officers were in the area. Members of the organization used different apartments and houses in Baltimore to stash and secrete their drugs, proceeds, firearms, ammunition and other drug paraphernalia.

From at least 1997 to September, 2004, Price and Frasier oversaw the purchase of raw heroin, the preparation of the raw heroin into “scrambled” or diluted heroin and the packaging of the scrambled heroin into gelatin capsules for sale at the drug shops of the organization. Price continued those duties in 2005.

From at least 1997 to 2005, Brewer, Boyd, Stewart, Jones and Davis acted as “street lieutenants” and supervised the organization’s distribution of heroin and collection of proceeds at the drug shops. From at least 2004 to 2005, Katie Eggleston assisted in the preparation of the raw heroin into “scrambled” or diluted heroin and the packaging of the scrambled heroin into gelatin capsules for sale at the drug shops of the organization.

Frasier, age 26, Brewer, age 26, Boyd, age 24, Davis, age 29, Stewart, age 28, and Jones, age 27, all of Baltimore, all pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy charges and have been sentenced to between 9 and 19 years with the exception of Davis and Stewart who are still awaiting sentencing. Eggleston, age 27, of Baltimore, pled guilty to possession of over 100 grams of heroin and was sentenced to 8 years.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Baltimore City Police Department for their investigative work, and commended Assistant United States Attorney Charles J. Peters, who prosecuted the case.