Authorities charge alleged drug traffickers
Alleged members of two drug trafficking groups, 15 people in all, have been indicted following monthslong investigations by state and local authorities, law enforcement officials announced Monday.
Both investigations were the result of work by the Maryland Attorney General’s organized crime unit and Baltimore Police’s Group Violence Unit, a part of the city’s group violence reduction strategy. The police unit is focused on targets police suspect are behind significant levels of the city’s gun violence, including retaliatory shootings. Other partners included local DEA officials, a Maryland State Police task force and the city State’s Attorney’s Office.
“The goal is very simple: Step away from the life. We’ll give you every opportunity. But if not, you will be held accountable,” Mayor Brandon Scott said at a Monday news conference, summarizing the work of his group violence reduction strategy. “This strategy has always been about focusing on those most responsible for driving the majority of violence in our city and inflicting harm upon our communities.”
The first organization operated in northwestern Baltimore around what they called “LND,” an acronym for Longwood-North-Dukeland, a set of streets where police say their efforts were focused.
The law enforcement investigation that began in May 2023 included undercover Baltimore Police detectives making controlled purchases of drugs and firearms.
In total, 14 guns and 1.73 kilograms of fentanyl were seized during the investigation, the Maryland Attorney General’s office said in a news release. Firearms recovered from a Baltimore County residence included two illegal assault rifles, two stolen weapons and a ghost gun. That residence was the home of the group’s alleged “gun supplier.”
Two members of the group have outstanding arrest warrants and have yet to be apprehended. Eight others face a variety of charges, some of which include conspiracy to distribute drugs, illegal possession of a firearm and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin and cocaine.
Two kilograms of fentanyl, roughly how much was seized in the investigation, would kill almost 870,000 people, according to Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown.
“Think about it. That number is one and a half times the population of Baltimore City,” Brown said.
The second organization, according to police, operated in Southwestern Baltimore’s Morrell Park neighborhood, including in and around a convenience store called American Market. Officials described the store as a “central hub,” but said at Monday’s news conference that there are no criminal charges for store owners.
The investigation similarly included controlled purchases of drugs by undercover officers. Detectives saw the drug dealing on a “daily basis,” according to the news release, including drugs packaged for resale. Investigators seized 2,000 fentanyl pills, 200 grams of cocaine, $6,307 in drug proceeds and four firearms.
The five people charged from the Morrell Park group also face a range of charges, including conspiracy to distribute drugs, distribution of fentanyl and cocaine, illegal possession of a firearm and use of a firearm in a drug trafficking crime.
Before the arrests, at least some of the defendants were offered services by city officials, a critical part of the group violence reduction strategy. Stefanie Mavronis, who leads the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, said anti-violence messages had been conveyed through “direct communications” that can include letters from Scott.
Scott described being at his stepson’s basketball game two weeks earlier and running into someone who showed him a photo of one such letter. The two, along with the young man’s father, spoke about how he was changing things.
“We’re very serious about providing opportunities,” said Scott, citing connection to things like housing, education, substance abuse and therapy services. “But we’re also very serious about holding people accountable.”
One study by University of Pennsylvania researchers found Baltimore’s Western District saw a roughly one-quarter reduction in homicides and shootings in the first 18 months of the strategy’s pilot, beginning in January 2022, according to preliminary data.
Baltimore is experiencing declines in shootings and homicides. So far in 2024, there have been 54 homicides and 125 nonfatal shootings, compared with 79 homicides and 149 shootings through the same time period in 2023. In 2023, Baltimore saw fewer than 300 homicides for the first time in almost a decade.
Monday’s announcement, held at the Morrell Park community center, followed a similar “takedown” news conference roughly two weeks ago about an investigation that targeted young people accused of a series of carjackings or robberies.
That case led to frustrations voiced in the news media by State’s Attorney Ivan Bates, who said he and the mayor don’t align on public safety priorities. In particular, Bates suggested Scott was overly focused on his group violence reduction strategy.
Days later, Bates endorsed Scott’s challenger, former Mayor Sheila Dixon.
Bates was not present at Monday’s announcement, but a member of his office attended.
Following the news conference, Brown was asked whether he planned to endorse in the mayor’s race. He said he hadn’t “gotten that far,” but described Scott as a “great partner.”
“He knows the city. He’s invested in the city. He loves the city,” said Brown, pointing to partnerships around public safety, infrastructure and other efforts. “Certainly the residents of Baltimore City could be, I think, wellserved with a second term.”