14 Alleged Members of “Black Guerilla Family” Gang Charged with Participation in Violent Racketeering Enterprise

Baltimore, Maryland - A federal grand jury returned a racketeering indictment charging 14 defendants for conspiring to participate in a violent racketeering enterprise known as the Black Guerilla Family (BGF).  The indictment, which was returned on June 3, 2015 and unsealed today, charges 14 alleged BGF gang members with conspiring to violate federal racketeering and drug trafficking laws.  Two defendants also are charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering and attempted murder in aid of racketeering.  Four defendants are also charged with using a gun in relation to violent crimes; and one defendant also faces charges of drug trafficking, possession of a gun in furtherance of drug trafficking and illegal possession of a gun.

This brings to 118 the total number of alleged BGF members and associates indicted in federal court since April 2009.

The superseding indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Shawn R. Ellerman of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Commissioner Anthony W. Batts, Baltimore Police Department; Chief Gary Gardner of the Howard County Police Department; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby.

“Federal, state and local agencies have joined to target leaders and key members of violent gangs operating in Baltimore City,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “Today’s indictment alleges that the Black Guerilla Family gang is an organized criminal enterprise with leaders and members who deal drugs and commit violent crimes. Anyone who joins a criminal gang can be held accountable for all crimes committed by fellow gang members.”                                                       

The following defendants, all of Baltimore unless otherwise specified, are charged in the indictment unsealed today:

            Timothy Michael Gray, a/k/a “Mike Gray,” “Uncle Mike,”  “MG,” and “M”, age 47,

            Robert Nedd, a/k/a “Pizza,” and “P,” age 44,

            Mark Bazemore, a/k/a “Uncle Mark,” age 30,

            Marshall Spence, “a/k/a “Uncle M,” age 33,

            Irvin Vincent, a/k/a “O,” and “O-dog,” age 26, of Hanover, Maryland;

            Glendrict Frazier, a/k/a “Glen” and “Uncle Glen,” age 51,

            Timothy Hurtt, a/k/a “Uncle Tim,” and “Tim,” age 44,

            William Harrington, a/k/a “Boosie” and “Boosey,” age 34,

            Tyrone Franklin, a/k/a “Bones,” age 35,

            Troy Kellam, a/k/a “G,” age 29,

            Calvin Palmer, a/k/a “C,” age 21,

            Davon Robinson, a/k/a “Veeto,” age 26,

            Michael Smith, Jr., a/k/a “Mikey,” “Lil Mike,” and “Mik,” age 29, and

            Daquan Burman, a/k/a “Day-Day,” age 20.

According to the nine count indictment, the 14 defendants are members and associates of the BGF, or “Jamaa,” the Swahili word for family, “J” for short, a nationwide gang operating in prisons and on the streets of cities throughout the United States.  Founded in California in the 1960s, BGF appeared in the Maryland correctional system in the 1990s.  Although still a prison gang, BGF is involved in criminal activity, including murder, robbery, extortion, narcotics trafficking, obstruction of justice, and witness intimidation throughout communities in Baltimore City, in Maryland, and elsewhere.

All 14 defendants are charged in the superseding indictment with conspiring to conduct the affairs of BGF through a pattern of criminal activity from at least 2012 to the present, including: narcotics trafficking, murder; extortion; robbery, and retaliation against a witness or informant.  All 14 defendants are also charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine base (crack), cocaine and oxycodone.  The defendants are alleged to have distributed drugs to customers in the Baltimore area, including the area of Pratt and Payson Streets, a BGF-controlled drug shop at Baltimore and Catherine Streets, and on Lemmon Street, all in Baltimore City. Vincent is also alleged to have distributed wholesale quantities of heroin to a coconspirator, who then sold the heroin for Vincent to customers in Howard County, Maryland.

More specifically, the indictment alleges that Gray was the city-wide commander of BGF on the streets of Baltimore since 2013.  Gray and Hurtt collected money from BGF gang members and commanders who controlled BGF drug shops throughout Baltimore.  Between September and December 2013, Gray sanctioned the murder of a BGF gang member, then watched as another BGF gang member fired several shots at the victim attempting to kill him.  Gray also sanctioned the murder of second BGF member, a/k/a “Newbie.”  In May of 2014, Gray allegedly authorized the shooting of Victim 3, and in June of 2014, authorized the murder of “Gutter,” an unknown person.

The indictment further alleges that on three separate occasions, Vincent distributed heroin to other heroin distributors which caused the death of three of the distributors’ customers, who died from “heroin and oxycodone intoxication” on November 14, 2013; “heroin intoxication” on December 4, 2013; and “morphine and fentanyl intoxication” on May 1, 2014.

According to the indictment, on March 10, 2014, after confirming with Bazemore that an order still existed to kill Victim 3, Harrington shot the victim in Baltimore, and was driven from the location by Burman. On May 25, 2014, Harrington advised Palmer that Victim 3 was trying to have Harrington sanctioned, while in jail, for shooting him.  On May 27, 2014, Harrington was assaulted in jail by other BGF members for shooting Victim 3.

The indictment alleges that on June 15, 2014, Robinson ordered an unindicted coconspirator to assault Palmer who was being sanctioned by Victim 5.  The next day, Kellam and Franklin murdered Victim 5.

The indictment further alleges that on September 11, 2014, Spence murdered BGF gang member Victim 6, a minor, by firing multiple gun shots, including one to the victim’s face, in Baltimore. From September to November 2014, in a telephone conversation between Spence and a minor, Spence allegedly threatened and intimidated the minor, who was a witness in the investigation into the homicide of Victim 6.  Spence and a fellow BGF gang member discussed the murder of witnesses who were involved with the investigation into the homicide of Victim 6.