WASHINGTON –Ten people were arrested today following their indictments on federal charges stemming from an ongoing investigation into a drug trafficking organization that distributed Fentanyl and cocaine in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The organization primarily operated in areas near Seventh and O Streets NW and nearby neighborhoods.
The arrests and indictment were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division Office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
A total of 13 defendants are named in the indictment, which was returned earlier this month and unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Two already were in custody, and one remains at large.
The federal drug conspiracy charges arose from a long-term investigation into drug trafficking and violence associated with a street crew at 7th and O Streets that operates in neighborhoods including Shaw, Truxton, and LeDroit Park in Northwest Washington. The indictment alleges that the organization has operated since at least July 1, 2021.
“This investigation reflects our focus on protecting our community both from the deadly consequences of using drugs like Fentanyl and the violence that such drug markets attract,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Along with our federal law enforcement partners and the MPD, we are committed to investigating, identifying, and prosecuting these networks.”
“The arrests of these individuals this morning represents the culmination of a nearly year-long investigation into a violent drug trafficking organization,” said Special Agent in Charge Jacobs. “This is yet another fine example of the commitment and resolve of the FBI and our partners at MPD’s Violence Reduction Unit and the DEA to remove these criminal elements from the communities we live and work in. The indictment alleges the charged individuals used illegal firearms and other weapons to commit violence while selling dangerous drugs and laundering the proceeds. The FBI will continue to stand with its partners in our work to make our city safer by bringing purveyors of drugs and violence to account for their egregious actions.”
“Communities deserve to thrive without the presence of illegal drug activity and violence, and our operation was successful in removing individuals engaged in these behaviors from District neighborhoods,” said Chief Contee. “While this operation highlights the thorough investigative efforts and effective partnerships between law enforcement, we are optimistic that continued collaboration will further impact our community.”
During the arrests and related searches today, law enforcement recovered eight firearms, as well as significant quantities of Fentanyl and crack cocaine.
Arrested today were Elliott Johnson, 42; Jeremy Young, 35; Daevon Narce, 29; William Proctor, 54; Andre Williams,32; Ako Handy, 48; Keith Gliss, 36; Manuel Brown, 41; Stanley Hood, 26, and Thomas Shelton, 37. Johnson is from Temple Hills, Maryland. The others are from the District of Columbia. Brian Rice, 34, and Tyrone Wade, 29, both of the District of Columbia, already were in custody, and one other defendant is still being sought.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) of MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division, the FBI Washington Field Office’s Cross Border Safe Streets Task Force, and the Washington Division of the DEA. The Cross Border Safe Streets Task Force targets the most egregious and violent street crews operating in the District of Columbia.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven B. Wasserman and Solomon Eppel, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.