18 Defendants Indicted for Drug Trafficking Out of a Silver Spring Housing Complex and District Heights Music Studio

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned two indictments charging 18 defendants with conspiring to distribute cocaine and heroin, and possession with intent to distribute the drugs. The indictments were returned on June 3, 2015 and unsealed today upon the arrest of the defendants, and the execution of search warrants at 29 residences and two businesses.

The first indictment charges 14 defendants in connection with drug trafficking operations conducted primarily at or near the housing complex in the 14000 block of Bel Pre Drive, Silver Spring. The second indictment charges four defendants with drug trafficking operations conducted primarily at or near a music studio located in the 7900 block of Cryden Way, District Heights, Maryland.

The indictments were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; Special Agent in Charge Darrell Gilliard of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Washington Field Office; Chief Mark A. Magaw of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief T. N. Treschuk of the Rockville City Police Department; Captain Timothy Lloyd of the Hackensack (New Jersey) Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.

“An intensive investigation of drug dealing and related violence in the vicinity of Bel Pre Square yielded these allegations that much of the criminal activity in the area is related to an organized group of drug dealers,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “Working together, local and federal authorities can help bring safety and security to Maryland neighborhoods by prosecuting criminals who deal drugs and foment violence. Surveillance and wiretaps were essential to gather the evidence.”

U.S. v. Frederick Davis, et al., No. 15-CR- 00317

According to the four count indictment and court documents, the FBI and Montgomery County Police Department identified a crack cocaine and heroin distribution operation led by defendant George Gee.  Gee and his distribution network primarily operated in Bel Pre Drive housing complex and the surrounding area from at least June 2014 to June 3, 2015. They allegedly used the housing complex as an open-air drug market where traffickers routinely conducted hand-to-hand drug transactions. Gee allegedly directed and supplied several local drug distributors operating in the housing complex and conducted hand-to-hand drug transactions with local distributors.  Drugs and drug proceeds were stored at the residences of some of the defendants.

The following defendants are charged in this indictment with conspiring to distribute cocaine base (crack), five kilograms or more of cocaine, and heroin:

Frederick J. Davis, age 31, of Gaithersburg, Maryland,

William T. Fergerson, a/k/a “Fats,” age 42, of Silver Spring, Maryland,

George Earl Gee, age 37, of Beltsville, Maryland,

Tiki Harmon, age 42, of Burtonsville, Maryland,

Amir Bey-Jones, a/k/a “Meano,” age 41, of Silver Spring,

Keenan Jones, age 54, of Silver Spring, Jovan Brian Lancaster, a/k/a “Juvie,” age 30, of Maryland,

Greg Milden, age 40, of Cliffside, New Jersey,

Joseph Miles, age 62, of Westerport, Maryland,

Brandon Richardson, age 30, of Silver Spring,

Alfonso Salazar, age 38, of Maryland,

Ryan Snowden, age 30, of Laurel, Maryland

Sonya Darby Thomas, a/k/a “Peaches,” age 37, of Gaithersburg, and

Rayvon Walls, age 25, of Indian Head, Maryland.

Gee, Snowden, Richardson, Salazar and Miles are also charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. The indictment seeks forfeiture of $400,000.

U.S. v. Vincent Collins, et al., No. 15-CR-00316

According to the two count indictment and court documents, the FBI and the Montgomery County Police Department identified a heroin and cocaine distribution operation led by Anthony Niles.  Niles primarily operated out of a music studio in Districts Heights.  Niles allegedly directed and/or supplied several local drug distributors operating in Prince George’s County and the surrounding area from at least February 2015 to June 3, 2015.  The indictment charges the following defendants with conspiring to distribute heroin and cocaine:

Vincent Collins, age 36, of Oxon Hill, Maryland,

Sierra Lynch, age 37, of Beltsville, Maryland,

Anthony Niles, age 36, of Bowie, Maryland, and

Abdul Hakim Sauda, age 30, of Laurel, Maryland.

Niles and Sauda are also charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine.

According to court documents, Harmon and Snowden worked at a barber shop on Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville where they stored drugs and drug proceeds. The indictment seeks forfeiture of $280,000.

All 18 defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison for the drug conspiracy. Gee, Snowden, Richardson, Salazar, Miles, Niles and Sauda also face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for distributing drugs.  The initial appearances of the defendants are scheduled to begin this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt.

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 praised the FBI, the Montgomery County Police Department, NCIS, Prince George’s County Police Department and the Rockville and Hackensack (New Jersey) Police Departments for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Rosenstein commended the Bergen County State’s Attorney’s Office and Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance, and thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel C. Gardner and Joseph R. Baldwin, who are prosecuting the case.