Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Arsenio Cleckley, a/k/a “Bund”, age 39, of Accokeek, Maryland to eight years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; and Charles County Sheriff Troy Berry.
According to Cleckley’s guilty plea, from at least in or about January 2017 through June 2018, Cleckley and his co-conspirators—James Belt, Alphonso Black, Terri Bordeaux, Diamante Hailey, Christina Marshall, Thomas Parker III, Devin Simmons, Williams Stuart, and others—conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and crack to drug users and other narcotics distributers in Maryland and Washington D.C.
Cleckley also admitted that he acted as a distributor of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and crack in the Maryland-Washington D.C. area. For example, on or about May 28, 2018, Cleckley and a co-conspirator purchased more than 200 grams of heroin and fentanyl from a supplier. After the purchase, members of law enforcement intercepted telephone calls revealing that Cleckley and the co-conspirator intended to distribute the heroin and fentanyl.
Cleckley and his co-conspirators also possessed firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking. Specifically, on or about March 14, 2018, after Cleckley crashed his vehicle and fled the scene, officers located a loaded .45 caliber handgun and more than 40 grams of fentanyl in the vehicle. As part of his guilty plea, Cleckley admitted that he possessed the .45 caliber handgun to protect his drug supply and drug proceeds and increase his reputation as a drug trafficker.
Additionally, in or about June 2018, after one of his associates was murdered in the Barry Farms area of Southeast, Washington, D.C., Cleckley planned a retaliatory shooting and purchased a AK-47 assault rifle and .40 caliber handgun. Cleckley also recruited accomplices for the retaliatory shooting. During a subsequent phone call, Cleckley made clear to a co-conspirator that the AK-47 assault rifle was not purchased “for show” and that the firearm needed to “put in work.” In another conversation about his intended targets, Cleckley stated, “I’m going to walk, I’m a stop in the middle of his street, and chase my victims down.”
As stated in his plea agreement, law enforcement arrested Cleckley in a Waldorf, Maryland hotel room where Cleckley had been selling fentanyl. From Cleckley’s hotel room, law enforcement recovered a stolen 9mm handgun with a 32-round extended magazine.
Co-defendants Diamante Lacelle Hailey, a/k/a Tay, age 27 of Clinton, Maryland; James Belt, a/k/a JB, age 32, of Lanham, Maryland; Alphonso Leroy Anthony Black, a/k/a Kobe, age 25 of Temple Hills, Maryland; Terri Bordeaux, a/k/a CeCe and Auntie, age 50, of Washington, D.C.; Christina Marshall, a/k/a Chrissy, age 32, of Accokeek, Maryland; Devin Simmons, age 42, of Marbury, Maryland; and William Stewart, a/k/a Lil’ Will, age 24, also of Marbury, all previously pleaded guilty. Simmons, Belt, Hailey, Stewart, and Black were previously sentenced to periods ranging from time-served to five years in federal prison, each followed by three years of supervised release. On July 15, 2021, U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced co-defendant Thomas Parker III to 90 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Bordeaux and Marshall are currently scheduled to be sentenced on October 20, 2021 and October 29, 2021, respectively.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised HSI, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the DEA, and the Charles County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin B. Pulice and Jennifer L. Wine, who prosecuted the case.
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