FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACTAUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
JUNE 26, 2007
SIX ALLEGED MEMBERS OF VIOLENT BALTIMORE DRUG GANG INDICTED BY FEDERAL GRAND JURY
“Special Heroin” Gang Allegedly Responsible for 3 Murders
Baltimore, Maryland - A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment today against the following defendants for their alleged participation in a violent drug trafficking conspiracy that resulted in three murders and a shooting, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein:
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein stated, “Love, Parker, Dinkins and Gilbert are eligible for the death penalty based on the charges filed today. The decision whether to seek the death penalty will be made by the Attorney General of the United States after carefully considering the defendant’s background and the circumstances of the crime.”
“I am very grateful to U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein, and to our federal partners at the FBI, for their efforts and the countless hours that all the investigators invested in this case that led to today’s indictment. This level of collaboration should not go unnoticed considering the importance of the many issues that prosecutors and law enforcement face every day in Baltimore,” said Baltimore City State’s Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy.
William D. Chase, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Baltimore Field Office stated, “We want to thank our colleagues at the United State’s Attorney’s Office, Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office and the Baltimore Police Department for their dedication and hard work in obtaining this indictment. This case sends a very important message that violence and intimidation of witnesses will not be tolerated.”
According to the 15-count indictment, from June 2002 to February 2007 Gilbert operated a drug distribution organization known as “Special Heroin” that sold heroin, cocaine and marijuana on the streets of Baltimore. The remaining defendants as members of Special Heroin, distributed narcotics to customers, collected drug proceeds, re-supplied and guarded the street inventory, operated as lookouts, and banded together against threats from drug traffickers from other neighborhoods.
The defendants used locations in Baltimore City to package and store the drugs, including residences on Cokesbury Avenue, Bartlett Avenue, Loch Raven Road, Greenmount Avenue and Homewood Avenue. They distributed drugs and collected money from customers on street corners and vacant lots in these areas. Members of “Special Heroin” used juveniles to sell drugs, because juveniles generally receive lesser sentences if apprehended and generally attract less attention from law enforcement authorities.
The indictment further alleges that Dinkins, Love and Parker acted as enforcers, and along with other defendants, committed acts of violence to protect the drug organization and retaliate against and intimidate potential witnesses who interfered with drug operations. For example, Gilbert suspected that Shannon Jemmison was cooperating with law enforcement authorities in the federal investigation and prosecution of Howard Rice and Raeshio Rice, who were charged in February 2005 with violations of federal racketeering and narcotics laws. The indictment alleges that Gilbert directed Dinkins to kill Jemmison to prevent Jemmison from cooperating in the Rice prosecution. Jemmison was shot and killed on September 10, 2005.
Dinkins is also charged with the November 10, 2005 shooting death of Michael Bryant and the shooting of John Dowery on October 19, 2005. Love and Parker are charged with the October 13, 2004 shooting death of James Wise.
All of the defendants face a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison for the drug distribution conspiracy and life in prison for possession or use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Love, Parker Gilbert and Dinkins face a maximum sentence of death or life in prison for use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime resulting in death; Love, Parker, Gilbert, Booker and McClean face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for distributing drugs; and Gilbert and Dinkins face a maximum sentence of death or life in prison for witness tampering in connection with the death of Shannon Jemmison. The defendants are detained.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office and Assistant State’s Attorney Lisa Goldberg, the Baltimore Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorneys Debra Dwyer and Stephanie Gallagher, who are prosecuting the case.