Williams was heavily involved with drug trafficking throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. Owings Mills, And they got balls the size of cows! [2], Even as the busts were hailed by the media, reservations about the overall effect of this strategy crept in. Mr. Williams began attending services at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church more than two decades ago. Steven Blackwell of Elkton pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiring to distribute heroin, launder money and defraud the U.S. government on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Baltimore. The Barksdale family was famous in their day in West Baltimore back in the '80s for their endeavors in the projects. There's the DNA of a half-dozen people we used.". [17] United States v. Corey Steven Johnson, 73 F.3d 359 (4th Cir. He is largely the basis for the Avon Barksdale character in The Wire, and even played a deacon on the show. "Drug traffickers must know that gun crime will lead to federal time, which has no paroleever. The gated entrances provided additional security from potential law enforcement surveillance. Despite its horrific track record from Baltimore to Acapulco and points in between, the kingpin strategy soldiers on. [18] Neill Franklin interview, April 5, 2017. Search warrants were executed at Smiths residences in Maryland and Studio City, California. One dealer quit after a bandit held a gun to his mothers head demanding his drugs and money. Laid off two and a half years earlier from Bethlehem Steel where he earned $24.60 an hour, he turned to delivering $10 heroin packets, living off his cut. Mr. Williams explained his epiphany to U.S. District Judge Marvin J. Garbis during a court appearance in 2003. [3] In 2003, he was acquitted of a federal charge of being a felon with a gun. With that comes certain investments and improvements along the way I will need to make, like up to date camera equipment, renting venues to shoot, new lightning, microphones etc. *Note: All information is provided through people of the community, outside sources, and research. Money counters were seized, along with approximately $1.6 million in jewelry, $740,000 and hundreds of shoes. Ovidio Guzman has allegedly helped to run his father's infamous Sinaloa cartel since El Chapo was handed over to the U.S. in 2017. To be strapped was to master yourself, to become more than a man whose life and death could simply be seized and hurled about.[12] Residents and politicians often proposed shifting enforcement from drugs to weapons, but under prohibition players felt exposed without them. Mr. Williams told Mr. Cardin he would not return to his former ways. Im grateful for the hard work of the DEA teams, Maryland Attorney Generals Office, and our law enforcement partners, with whom we were able to execute these arrests and seize illegal drugs and firearms from this violent drug trafficking organization.. "He was one of the most unusual clients because he was so straightforward and honest with me, the courts and police," said Howard L. Cardin, another attorney who represented him. 125 67 r/Mafia Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The Official Blog of the Urban History Association. All Rights Reserved. In the newspaper series, which focuses on the criminal career of Melvin Williams, Simon depicts Barksdale as a ruthless killer and a drug addict. The kingpins were undoubtedly ruthless, but they also enforced discipline. Today, one of Baltimore's best known criminals is serving life plus 130 years in prison. When White was arrested on unrelated federal drug charges in July of 2010, Collins replaced White as Smiths supplier of cocaine until October 2011, when Arkansas state troopers stopped a car carrier loaded with $2,306,745 sent by Smith in Baltimore to be delivered to Collins in California. The Most Devastating Deaths On The Wire. At one intersection, an addict explained the futility of the actions. Narcotics agents and prosecutors gloated, noting that Baltimore was a trailblazer in utilizing the federal kingpin law to dismantle narcotics rings. Baltimore Drug Kingpin Sentenced To 25 Years In Prison Distributed Over a Ton of Cocaine in Baltimore in Less Than Two Years; Authorities Seized Over $6.7 Million in Luxury Cars and Motorcycles, Jewelry, Cash and Bank Accounts, Clothing and Real Estate [3] In February 2016, he died from an undisclosed illness at a medical prison in Butner, North Carolina, aged 54. The Tarrant County Crimestoppers telephone numbers is answered on a 24-hour basis, 365 days per year. "Melvin took me under his wing and helped me to see things different," he said. [4] During his sentence Melvin became extremely knowledgeable about the law and helped other inmates with their cases. Deemed a "super kingpin" by law enforcement, Williams was found guilty of seven drug-related charges and an eighth federal charge for conspiracy. [2] In 1985, Barksdale was sentenced to 15 years in state prison for battery. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. "He spoke to young men and would teach them self-respect and the law. By the mid-1970s, handful of kingpins with syndicates made up of family members and trusted associates controlled the lion's share of narcotics distribution in Baltimore. Attorney General Brown also thanked the States Attorney for Baltimore County, Scott Shellenberger, for his Offices assistance in this investigation. Khalid, Risky Business: Major Drug Dealers Are Getting Younger, Baltimore Sun, October 27 1991, 1G. Videos. Tommy Lee Canty became a boss in his early twenties, an age when dealers in the past would become lieutenants. The takedowns did not put a dent in Baltimores $900 million heroin market, an amount three times what city spent on its schools. Click here to follow Daily Voice Baltimore and receive free news updates. According to Simon, this name was not associated with Barksdale in any official document, and Barksdale has failed to produce any documentary evidence of having any middle name. An interstate drug distribution ring has been broken up and six suspects are now facing charges following a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigation, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced. The truth is, there are many different kinds of drug [] No sentencing date is currently scheduled for White. Originally the citys black population made their home in a small section of East Baltimore. We simply have to do more for ourselves, Mayor Kurt Schmoke noted at his second inauguration. Frustrated BPD officials claimed that in the mid-1990s perhaps three out of four murders had a narcotics connection, and prohibitions side effects also contributed to the bedlam. Addressing firearms without admitting that the lawless narcotics business caused gunplay was futile. The Baltimore Sun suggested that the police department engage in a turf battle that will pit the police and law-abiding citizens on one side and the criminal element on the other. Reporter David Simon thought that securing corners could restore police credibility and allow communities to function (Simon went on to create the HBO series The Wire). / CBS Baltimore. Most recently, Mr. Williams operated an indoor flea market on West North Avenue near Smallwood Street. While the citys black population is well dispersed throughout the city, like South Baltimores Cherry Hill and Brooklyn, or East Baltimore from Highland Town to Northeasts Ramblewood, West Baltimore has historically been the heart of the city. . His father drove a cab; his mother was a nurse's aide. "[1], In 2014, Barksdale was "ensnared in a Drug Enforcement Administration wiretap investigation", and after pleading guilty was convicted and sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison. In late August, Smith and Johnson sent a car to Maryland on a different car carrier. Known as "Little Melvin" or Slim or Black, for his preference for dark clothing he once ruled the illegal drug trade along Pennsylvania Avenue. Mr. Williams left prison in 2003 after attorney Michael E. Marr had argued successfully that he didn't meet the technical requirements for the federal career criminal laws that prosecutors had used to send him to prison for what could have been the rest of his life. This myopia only leads to more carnage as the players change and the game goes on. Neighborhood groups cheered these efforts, and wanted officers permanently assigned to areas to prevent crimes, not just catch criminals and pick up bodies. [18] By the late 1990s, BPD Commissioner Thomas Frazier reported that the citys distribution system was made up of approximately 100 small, nimble cliques with fewer than ten operatives. Many owned small businesses and garnered community tolerance through donations, loans, and gifts. [5], However, in his director's commentary to the first episode of The Wire, Simon says: "We tend to mix the names up but its our kind of back-handed homage to the reality of West Baltimore. What's up Family? Linda L. Kelley Animal Shelter To Hold St. Pitties Day ODopt-A-Thon, Stolen Car Chase Ends In Multiple Arrests With Drugs And Replica Gun Found Inside, Two Juveniles Apprehended By Police After Attempted Car Break-In, Firearm Recovered, Employment Services Offered At St. Marys County Health Hub, Celebrating Womens History Month: St. Marys County Sheriffs Office Highlights Lieutenant Harrison, Commission For Women Announces 2023 Honorees For Womens History Month, Applying For Building Permits Made Easy With Calvert Countys Encompass Online Portal, Motorcyclist Critically Injured After Collision In Anne Arundel County, School Resource Officer Investigating Reports Of 4th Degree Sex Offenses At Westlake High School, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. In his youth Melvin Williams was a real-life drug kingpin who was arrested by "The Wire" TV-series writer Ed Burns in 1984 when the latter was a Baltimore city police officer. Editorial Credit: Nicole Glass Photography / Shutterstock.com. Jones ruled over one of the most murderous narcotics organizations in Baltimore history, and was convicted of conspiring to kill rivals, federal witnesses, police informants, and their relatives. One Baltimore drug dealer named Richard Byrd claims that he did business with top musicians such as Drake, Kanye West, and Diddy to launder money. Known as "Little Melvin" or Slim or Black, for his preference for . [3], Barksdale's name appeared in the Baltimore Sun's 1987 series Easy Money: Anatomy of a Drug Empire,[3] written by David Simon, who went on to be the creator, executive producer, and head writer of The Wire. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Leaf said. The lesson, however, was that the BPD must become quicker and just as nimble in putting them behind bars.[19] For drug warriors, failures only led to declarations that the next tactic was the winner. Baltimore had a proud history of black entrepreneurship licit and illicit and training programs tried to assist low-income people starting small businesses. New cell phones were used on each trip to further conceal their illegal activities. Housing projects of the old Lexington Terrace and Murphy Homes on the citys West Side, or East Baltimores Lafayette Courts and Flag House, all torn down during the 1990s, became legendary communities before their demolishing, filled with plenty of memories. Dec 4, 2015, 02:20 PM EST. At such time as information is received, it is computerized and routed to the appropriate entity or Departmental . Featured image (at top): Baltimore (Convention Center Construction), Marion S. Trikosko, December 2, 1977, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. "I knew of his notoriety and his antics on Pennsylvania Avenue," Mr. Hamm said. He was not a bragger. My goal is to work with as many artist, entrepreneurs, creatives, and anyone who's doing something positive as much as possible to grow my channel to the point I can use it as a platform to help others believe in themselves, community, and their ability to be noticed and make a difference in the world. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. After four were shot, some decided the risks were not worth it. [citation needed], On December 6, 1984, Williams was arrested on cocaine trafficking charges. The evolution of a West Baltimore youth gang showed how crack changed the urban landscape. All rights reserved. Attorneys James G. Warwick and David Sharfstein, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case. He is in a sense, all of those kingpins from Baltimore's criminal past and therefore none of them.". The press called him the Puerto Rican James Bond due to his fleet of cars and all the gadgets he accessorized them with. A spokesperson for. Theyre not based on real people, individually, but a character might be a composite". Reisterstown, Among the most sophisticated was Maurice Peanut King. "He expressed that in a couple of reasons: 'What I did was wrong. "He had a civic pride and was concerned about people getting hurt.". To anyone who decides to give I would like to thank you in advance. Jones, who relied on fear to run his $30,000 a day cocaine and heroin operation. Authorities made a controlled delivery of the heroin in September. Let me know what yawl think about this story. I respected him as an individual. Dwayne Booze, 48, of Baltimore, 51-year-old Thomas Timothy Booze of Baltimore, 47-year-old . 2023 Southern Maryland News & Entertainment. ), First published on November 23, 2011 / 3:15 PM. [5] A major point of contention is Barksdale's claim that his middle name is Avon. There is no honor. In reality, as mentioned earlier in the article, the 1970s was the beginning era of the streets in the many neighborhoods of East Baltimore and West Baltimore and what was depicted in The Wire has not occurred in the streets of modern day Baltimore. Sons of Anarchy (2008-2014) TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller 8.6 Rate A biker struggles to balance being a father and being involved in an outlaw motorcycle club. Email Us. A Baltimore Metropolitan Police transport vehicle burns during clashes in Baltimore, Maryland April 27, 2015. He served many years in federal prison for drug and gun convictions, and was one of the first criminals profiled on the BET program "American Gangster.". Parkville, [citation needed] On February 7, 1985, he was convicted and sentenced to 34 years in prison. [2] Vernon Guidry, Jr. Baltimore is Among Best in Using Drug Kingpin Law, Baltimore Sun, February 16 1983, A1; Ann LoLordo, City Narcotics Squad Seeks Containment Baltimore Sun, September 18 1983, 1; Baltimore Afro-American, Drug Agents Claim Victories in Ongoing War Against Drugs, January 10, 1987, 3. ", "Melvin was polite to Ed, if not cordial," Mr. Simon said. At the time, Mr. Williams was serving a 35-year federal sentence for drug distribution. His trial was scheduled to begin next week. Photos. Mr. Simon recalled a meal with Mr. Williams at Moe's Seafood in the Inner Harbor. [8] Presidents Commission for a National Agenda for the Eighties, Urban America in the Eighties: Perspectives and Prospects (Washington, DC: GPO, 1980), 19; William Reed, Blacks and Americas Drug Problem, Homeland, Jan. 1, 1993. In this episode we will be discussing Baltimore Kingpin Anthony Jones. The West Baltimore hoods include places like SandTown, Edmondson Avenue, Walbrook JCT, Whitelock City, McCulloh Homes, Poe Homes, Poplar Grove, Fayette Street, North and Pulaski, Edmondson Village, and much more. "I am proud to call Little Melvin a friend of mine," said the Rev. Kinney, Lawrence, and Rhodes have each been charged with Conspiracy, Participation in a Criminal Organization, Volume Dealer, Distribution of Cocaine, Possession of Cocaine with the Intent to Distribute, Use of Firearms in a Drug Trafficking Crime, Drug Proceeds, and related charges. Other appearances include his cameo in Baltimore hip hop duo Dirt Platoon's video for the song "Pennsylvania Avenue" in 2010. "My people were waiting to see what if anything the politicians were going to do to hold the policemen who killed Freddie Gray responsible. An Odenton man has been sentenced for leading a drug ring of fentanyl sales in Howard County, Baltimore City and Baltimore County. Melvin Williams, whose life as a West Baltimore drug kingpin in the 1960s and post-prison redemption earned him a recurring role in HBO's "The Wire," died Thursday at the University of Maryland . It was his life and what he chose to do.". In Los Angeles, expensive apartments with gated garages were used to store and test the cocaine prior to shipment. He took a job earning $4.25 an hour at an Inner Harbor hotel with dreams to Be like Donald Trump.[7], The treacherous stakes weeded out many youths, but there was always someone ready to step up. To run his $ 30,000 a day cocaine and heroin operation drug,... About this story that his middle name is Avon what he chose to do. `` from potential enforcement. Williams began attending services at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church more than two decades ago mine ''... Boss in his early twenties, an age when Dealers in the projects, $ and. 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