Lieutenant in the Jenifer Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Tyrone Allen, age 44, of Bowie, Maryland, today to 16 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute cocaine.  Judge Bennett entered an order requiring Allen to forfeit the proceeds of the drug trafficking, including cash, vehicles, jewelry, and his interest in property held in the name of New Millenium Investors, LLC and/or Tyrone Allen, including five properties in Baltimore.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Special Agent in Charge Thomas Jankowski of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office; Commissioner Kevin Davis of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to his plea agreement and court documents, from September 2012 until his arrest in October 2014, Kedrick Jenifer was the head of a drug organization that transported cocaine and cash between Baltimore and Houston, Texas.  Allen was Jenifer’s lieutenant in the organization, assisting Jenifer with the day to day operations, including the collection of money for and the distribution of cocaine to the organization’s customers while Jenifer was out of town.  The Jenifer DTO obtained its cocaine from sources of supply in and around Houston. The Jenifer DTO would hide money in secret compartments in “courier vehicles” that were transported from Baltimore to Houston.  The cocaine was then transported from Houston to Baltimore hidden in the courier vehicles.

In September 2012, Texas State Police stopped a courier vehicle in Chambers County, Texas.  Law enforcement officers discovered approximately 30 kilograms of cocaine hidden in secret compartments within the vehicle. In July 2013, a courier vehicle for the Jenifer DTO loaded on a car-carrier was intercepted in Arkansas.  The vehicle contained approximately 23 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a secret compartment.

Between August 2013 and October 2014, approximately 30 shipments of cocaine concealed in secret compartments in the courier vehicles were made to the Jenifer DTO.  During this time, Allen was seen on numerous occasions providing kilogram quantities of cocaine to members of the organization.  For example, on June 12, 2014, law enforcement intercepted calls Jenifer made to other members of the organization indicating that Allen would meet with them to distribute kilograms of cocaine.  On June 14 and 16, 2014, law enforcement observed Allen meeting with members of the Jenifer DTO to supply them with cocaine.  On July 11, 2014, Allen and Jenifer were seen removing kilogram-sized packages from hidden compartments in one of the courier vehicles that had recently returned from Houston.

Allen admitted that he was responsible for the distribution of at least 450 kilograms of cocaine between August 2013 and October 2014.

Kedrick Arnold Jenifer, a/k/a “Ricky Jenifer,” “James Howard Collier, Jr.” and “Rick,” age 44, of Bowie, Maryland, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute cocaine and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 26, 2016.  Eight other co-conspirators have pleaded guilty.  Brooke Renee Lunn, a/k/a “Brooke Thomas” and “Brooke Renee,” age 49; William Hegie, age 55; Kermit Clark, age 45; and Elroy Johnson, age 49, all of Baltimore, and Thomas Simmons, age 38, of Hampton, Virginia, were sentenced to between 10 and 12 years in prison.  The other three defendants are awaiting sentencing.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the DEA, IRS Criminal Investigation and Baltimore City and County Police Departments for their work in the investigation, and expressed his appreciation to the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Texas and the Southern District of New York for their assistance.  Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney John W. Sippel, Jr. and Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Hoff, a cross-designated Baltimore City Assistant State’s Attorney, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.