FBI — Thirteen Correctional Officers Among 25 Black Guerilla Family Gang Members and Associates Indicted on Federal Racketeering Charges
JohnButts@JBMedia - Reports:
A
federal grand
jury returned a racketeering indictment charging
25 individuals, including 13 correctional
officers with
the Maryland Department
of Public Safety and Correctional Services, for conspiring to run operations
of the Black Guerilla Family (
BGF) gang inside correctional facilities. All
25 defendants also are
charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute drugs, and 20
of the defendants are
charged with money laundering conspiracy.
The indictment and a detailed affidavit were unsealed today upon
the arrests
of the defendants and
the execution
of 15 search warrants. Approximately 170 agents and
officers assisted in today’s arrests and search warrants.
The indictment was returned on April 2, 2013. One defendant was killed in a robbery several hours before
the indictment was filed.
The defendants are identified at
the conclusion
of this press release.
The indictment arose from
the efforts
of the Maryland Prison Task Force, a group
of local, state, and
federal stakeholders that met regularly for more than two years and generated recommendations to reform prison procedures.
The indictment was 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; Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts; Secretary Gary D. Maynard
of the Maryland Department
of Public Safety and Correctional Services; and Chief Mark A. Magaw
of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Rosenstein also recognized
the efforts
of the o
ther
members of the Maryland Prison Task Force in this investigation and prosecution, including: Baltimore City State’s Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein; Colonel Marcus L. Brown, Superintendent
of the Maryland State Police; United States Marshal Johnny Hughes; Special Agent in Charge Karl C. Colder
of the Drug Enforcement Administration-Washington Field Division; Tom Carr, Director
of the Washington-Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area; and Dave Engel, Executive Director
of the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center.
“Correctional
officers were in bed with
BGF inmates, in violation
of the first principle
of prison management,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “Preventing prison corruption requires intensive screening at prison entrances and punishment for employees who consort with inmates or bring cell phones and drugs into correctional facilities.”
“This investigation revealed
the pervasive nature
of prison corruption in Baltimore City’s Detention Centers,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt. “Such corruption causes
the FBI to divert crucial investigative resources away from addressing violence on
the streets
of Baltimore. In this case,
the inmates literally took over ‘
the asylum,’ and
the detention centers became safe havens for
the BGF. Such a situation cannot be tolerated. Law enforcement should not have to concern itself with criminal subjects who have already been arrested and relegated to detention centers.”
“Ninety-nine percent
of our correctional
officers do
their jobs with integrity, honesty, and respect,” said Secretary Gary Maynard
of the Maryland Department
of Public Safety and Correctional Services. “Today’s indictment, along with those in
the past, show that our department will not stand idly
by and let a few bad actors affect
the security
of our institutions. Nor will we allow
them to impugn
the reputation
of the men and women who come to work every day and go about
their jobs honorably. Those who would break
the law should know we will always work tirelessly with our
federal, state, and local partners to root out corruption.”
“Today’s multi-jurisdictional takedown
of suspected
BGF gang
members and orchestrators who infiltrated
the criminal justice system is ano
ther example
of the Baltimore Police Department’s relentless focus on targeting
the malignant gang organizations that plague our communities,” said Police Commissioner Anthony Batts. “Thanks to
the hard working detectives,
federal agents, and prosecutors who worked behind
the scenes to build
these cases. Our continued pledge to
the people
of Baltimore is that we will leverage
the full capacity
of our state and
federal partnerships to identify those responsible for violence and bring
them to justice.”
The 10 men and 15 women
charged in
the indictment are alleged to be
members or associates
of the BGF, a gang active in prisons throughout
the United States. According to
the indictment,
BGF has been
the dominant gang at
the Baltimore City Detention Center (BCDC) and in several connected facilities, especially
the Baltimore Central Booking Intake Center,
the Women’s Detention Center (which houses many men), and in
the Jail Industries Building.
The indictment alleges that since at least 2009,
BGF members and associates in BCDC and related prison facilities engaged in criminal activities, including drug trafficking, robbery, assault, extortion, bribery, witness retaliation, money laundering, and obstruction
of justice.
BGF members and associates allegedly bribed correctional
officers at BCDC and related prison facilities to smuggle drugs, cell phones, and o
ther contraband. Correctional
officers arranged favored treatment and privileges for imprisoned
BGF gang
members, and
officers thwarted interdiction and law enforcement efforts against
BGF inmates.
BGF members and associates allegedly had long-term sexual relationships with several correctional
officers and impregnated
them.
BGF leaders allegedly used contraband cell phones to order contraband. Co-conspirators delivered contraband to corrupt correctional
officers who smuggled
the items into
the prisons. Correctional
officers
often arranged payment for
the contraband. Some gang dues and drug pr
ofits were used to support activities
of BGF street organizations outside
the prisons.
The charging documents allege that correctional
officers were able to bring contraband directly into
the prisons through
the main entrances. Inside
the prisons,
BGF was able to control contraband smuggling because
BGF gang
members were designated as “working men.” Working men are inmates who are paid to assist management and are free to move about
the facility.
Green Dot cash debit cards were allegedly used
by inmates to pay
BGF for smuggled contraband and used
by BGF to transfer criminal proceeds. Luxury automobiles were among
the purchases made
by BGF with Green Dot cards.
According to
the indictment,
members, and associates followed directions from
the ranking
BGF members in BCDC, especially inmate Tavon White. On January, 5, 2013, White explained in a phone call:
“This is my jail. You understand that? I’m dead serious....I make every final call in this jail...and nothing go past me, everything come to me....Any
of my bro
thers that deal with anybody, it’s gonna come to me. You see what I am saying? Everything come to me. Everything. Before a mo
ther-f—— hit a n—— in
the mouth, guess what
they do,
they gotta run it through me. I tell
them whe
ther it’s a go ahead, and
they can do it or whe
ther
they hold back. Before a mo
ther-f—— stab somebody,
they gotta run it through me....Anything that get done must go through me. ”
Tavon White summarized his position in a conversation with correctional
officer Adrena Rice on February 11, 2013:
“I told
them worker men that
they had to step down
off
the worker men spots or
they was getting hit....I hold
the highest seat you can get....My word is law...so if I told any mo
ther-f—— body
they had to do this, hit a police, do this, kill a mo
ther-f——, do anything, it got to get done. Period.”
White allegedly used contraband cell phones to discuss
BGF activities inside BCDC, such as
the collection
of fees and taxes, to request information about inmates, to hear grievances from o
ther
BGF inmates, and to coordinate his contraband smuggling operation. White and o
ther gang
members developed sexual relationships with
officers in order to gain influence over
them.
White allegedly had long-term sexual relationships inside BCDC with four correctional
officers—Jennifer Owens, Katera Stevenson, Chania Brooks, and Tiffany Linder—impregnating each
of the four
officers at least once. Owens had “Tavon” tattooed on her neck and Stevenson had “Tavon” tattooed on her wrist. All four
officers allegedly help smuggle contraband into BCDC and related facilities. White allegedly gave Owens a diamond ring and provided luxury automobiles to Owens, Stevenson, and Brooks.
The indictment includes many overt acts in fur
therance
of the racketeering enterprise. For example, in November 2012, correctional
officer Jasmin Jones allegedly stood guard outside a closet in BCDC so that correctional
officer Kimberly Dennis and inmate Derius Duncan could have sex. Corrupt
officers also warned
BGF inmates about law enforcement operations. For example, Brooks and Linder allegedly notified White when
they learned about upcoming canine scans and jail cell searches.
The affidavit specifies two occasions in which warning calls to White were intercepted: December 21, 2012 (from Brooks) and January 6, 2013 (from Linder). White
then used his cell phone to spread
the word to o
ther inmates.
On January 6, 2013, White allegedly said:
“I just got a message (from
Officer Tiffany Linder) saying that
they was going to pull a shake down (prison search) tonight. Let me call all
these dudes in my phone and let
them know.”
The U.S. Attorney expressed appreciation to Secretary Maynard and select
members of his senior staff who confidentially arranged for 30 trusted correctional
officers from outside Baltimore to join with
federal agents and conduct surprise searches
of BGF members and
their jail cells on February 14, 2013, resulting in
the discovery
of important evidence.
The indictment seeks
the forfeiture
of $500,000 and o
ther proceeds
of the enterprise, including luxury automobiles.
The defendants face a maximum sentence
of 20 years in prison on
the racketeering and drug conspiracies, as well as for conspiracy to commit money laundering. Stevenson, Yarborough, and Pinder each also face five years in prison for possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
The defendants are expected to have initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Baltimore this afternoon.
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, Maryland Department
of Public Safety and Correctional Services, Baltimore Police Department,
the Prince George’s County Police Department and Maryland Prison Task Force, Baltimore City Assistant State’s Attorneys Kevin Wilson, and Katie O’Hara for
their work in
the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Robert R. Harding and Ayn B. Ducao, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
The following defendants are
charged in
the indictment unsealed today:
Inmates:
- Tavon White, a/k/a Bulldog and Tay, age 36, of Baltimore
- Jamar Anderson, a/k/a Hammer and Hamma Head, age 26, of Baltimore
- Derius Duncan, age 26, of Baltimore
- Steven Loney, a/k/a Stevie, age 24, of Baltimore
- Jermaine McFadden, a/k/a Maine, age 24, of Baltimore
- Kenneth Parham, age 23, of Baltimore
- Joseph Young, a/k/a Monster, age 30, of Baltimore
Correctional officers:
- Antonia Allison, age 27, of Baltimore
- Ebonee Braswell, age 26, of Baltimore
- Chania Brooks, age 27, of Baltimore
- Kimberly Dennis, age 26, of Baltimore
- Jasmin Jones, a/k/a J.J., age 24, of Baltimore
- Taryn Kirkland, age 23, of Baltimore
- Katrina LaPrade, a/k/a Katrina Lyons, age 31, of Baltimore
- Tiffany Linder, age 27, of Baltimore
- Vivian Matthews, age 25, of Essex, Maryland
- Jennifer Owens, a/k/a O and J.O., age 31, of Randallstown
- Adrena Rice, age 25, of Baltimore
- Katera Stevenson, a/k/a KK, age 24, of Baltimore
- Jasmine Thornton, a/k/a J.T., age 26, of Glen Burnie
Outside suppliers:
- Tyesha Mayo, age 29, of Baltimore
- Teshawn Pinder, age 24, of Baltimore
- Tyrone Thompson, a/k/a Henry, age 36, of Baltimore
- Ralph Timmons, Jr., a/k/a Boosa, age 34, of Baltimore (deceased)
- James Yarborough, a/k/a J.Y., age 26, of Baltimore.
