MONTGOMERY, AL—Earnest Lee “Junior” Stromer, age 31; Earl Sadiki “Cujo” Wilson, age 30; Sanquez Deontra “Quez” Bivens, age 23; and Dewayne “Kemonte” Thomas, a.k.a. D’Wayne Thomas, age 20, all from Montgomery, were arrested today for conspiring to distribute powder cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana, as well as for using and carrying a firearm, during and in relation to the drug conspiracy, announced George L. Beck, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. Marquis Tamel Tymes, age 33; and Aaron Key “Keith” Reynolds, age 40; also all from Montgomery, were arrested today and charged in a separate indictment for conspiring to distribute powder cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana, in violation of federal law. Raydreco Gardner, Earnest Stromer (a different person than Earnest Lee “Junior” Stromer) and Sabrina Stinson were also arrested on State of Alabama drug charges.

In 2010, the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Montgomery Police Department began an investigation into a Montgomery neighborhood gang, called the Vineyard Gang. All of the defendants named above were members of the Vineyard Gang. The Vineyard Gang lived and operated in an area of Montgomery known as the “Vineyard”. The “Vineyard” is a high-crime neighborhood located in south Montgomery, Alabama, consisting of John Morris Avenue and Martin Patton Avenue. The two streets join to form a “U” shaped neighborhood off of Norman Bridge Road. The criminal gang members who lived and conducted their criminal activity in the “Vineyard” also refer to themselves as the “Two Street” gang, referencing the two streets that make up the “Vineyard” neighborhood. Violent crime in the “Vineyard” includes shootings, home invasions, and murder.

“Violent street gangs terrorize communities all over this country and Montgomery is not immune,” stated U.S. Attorney Beck. “We are dedicated to wiping out this violent crime and will continue prosecute those who are involved in neighborhood street gangs to the fullest extent of the law. Our local police risk their lives each day to protect us from violent crime. We owe those heroes our eternal gratitude for their dedication and service.”

“Through the combined efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement, this violent criminal enterprise has been disrupted,” stated Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Mobile division. “Violence and drugs have a devastating effect on our communities and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to make this state a safer place.”

We appreciate our valuable partnerships with the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies as we work to build safer communities and combat crime. Last year we referred to several longer-term initiatives that we had undertaken in the Montgomery area, and today’s arrests are indicative of the success we are realizing,” said Montgomery Public Safety Director J. Christopher Murphy.

The indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, each faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison for the drug conspiracy, and a maximum sentence of life for the weapons violation. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force, with assistance from the Montgomery Police Department, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, and is being to prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Susan Redmond and John Geer.