Three More District Men Sentenced for Trafficking Fentanyl in Trinidad Neighborhood of Northeast Washington

            WASHINGTON —  U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro today announced the sentencings of three District men -- Jalonie Hooper, 26, Edward Frizell Williams, Jr., 53, and Dandre Goodwine, 30 -- for their roles in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy that operated an open-air drug market in the Trinidad neighborhood in Northeast Washington D.C.

            Goodwine, aka “Dreads,” pleaded guilty March 3 before Chief Judge James E. Boasberg to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, and cocaine base. Judge Boasberg today sentenced Goodwine to 36 months in federal prison and ordered three years of supervised release.

            Hooper, aka “JR,” pleaded guilty April 4 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base. Judge Boasberg sentenced Hooper on July 1 to 15 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

            Williams, aka “Pooh,” pleaded guilty March 3 to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, cocaine base, and heroin. Judge Boasberg sentenced Williams on July 1 to 22 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

            According to court documents, during the course of the conspiracy, the Trinidad neighborhood crew sold approximately 468 kilograms of fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, and cocaine base on and around the 1100 block of Raum Street, NE.

            On May 23, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at 1657 11th Place, NE, at a stash house where Goodwine was known to frequent. Agents recovered multiple five firearms, digital scales with white residue suspected controlled substance; a false book containing six twists and 27 small twists each containing a white substance suspected to be a controlled substance, and multiple magazines and rounds of various ammunition. Goodwine’s DNA was found on the magazine of a Glock 22 .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun.

            On August 12, 2023, at 11 p.m., MPD officers were called to investigate an incident on the 1600 block of V Street, NW and arrested Hooper. Officers found approximately 50 grams of cocaine base on his person.

            When law enforcement agents executed the search warrant at the 11^th Place stash house, they found Williams outside within arms-length of a .40 caliber handgun. DNA on the firearm connected it to Williams.

            This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

            The Trinidad trafficking investigation was a multi-agency effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, the Narcotics Enforcement Unit of the Violent Crime Suppression Division of the Metropolitan Police Department, and the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force.

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Mohanty and Daniel Seidel of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by Criminal Division Trial Attorneys Christina Taylor and Gaelin Bernstein.

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