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Thursday, August 17, 2006

Leader of major PCP drug trafficking organization in Northeast Washington , D.C. receives life prison term

Washington, D.C. - A leader of a major PCP drug trafficking organization, George “Shug” Wilson, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for his role in the organization’s narcotics trafficking activities, U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Wainstein announced today. On May 25, 2006, a federal court jury returned guilty verdicts against Wilson and other leaders of their drug trafficking organization, the “M Street Crew.”

Wilson, 37, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before the Honorable Rosemary Collyer, who imposed two terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole for engaging in a narcotics conspiracy and participating in a racketeering enterprise, known as the “M Street Crew.” Although the defendant faced statutory mandatory minimum sentences of at least 20 years in prison under federal law, the Court followed the federal sentencing guidelines recommendation of life in prison without the possibility of parole. In imposing the sentence, the Court noted that the evidence at the three-month long trial characterized Wilson’s role in the M Street Crew as that of a “street lieutenant,” and ruled that the evidence established that he was one of the few leaders of the M Street Crew.

According to the government’s investigation, the crew was a notorious phencyclidine (PCP) and ecstacy distribution ring that operated in the neighborhood of 18th and M Streets, NE, in the District of Columbia, between 2000 and 2004. In addition to finding Wilson guilty for his role in the organization’s drug trafficking activities, the jury also found John L. Franklin, 33, of the 1300 block of Belmont Street, NW, Washington, D.C., guilty of being the principle administrator of a continuing criminal drug enterprise. His sentencing is scheduled for August 18, 2006. The jury verdict found that Franklin had managed, organized and supplied a drug enterprise that distributed more that 30 kilograms of liquid PCP (more than 12 gallons of liquid PCP). Franklin now faces an automatic sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The jury also found him guilty of participating in a conspiracy to distribute PCP, ecstacy and crack cocaine, and of conspiracy to engage in a racketeering enterprise, the M Street Crew. These two additional offenses carry possible sentences of up to life in prison. He was also convicted of 23 separate drug trafficking offenses and numerous federal firearm counts.

The jury verdict also found several other leaders in the M Street Crew guilty of numerous charges, including William Dee Robinson, 30, of 1716 M Street NE, and Joseph Blackson, 29, the brother of John Franklin, and resident of 2723 Shipley Terrace, SE. Robinson is scheduled for sentencing on September 5th and Blackson for August 25th. Also found guilty was William “Mike” Simmons, 32, of 1226 G Street, NE. Evidence in the case characterized his role as that of a personal assistant to the leader, John L. Franklin. He faces sentencing on August 23rd. Under federal law and the federal sentencing guidelines, each of these defendants face the possibility life in prison.

At sentencing, prosecutors stated in pleadings and in court that this prosecution represented the culmination of a concerted effort to disrupt and dismantle the entire M Street Crew. Over 30 participants in the M Street Crew were arrested and charged in a massive coordinated effort on March 16, 2004. The prosecution remarked that the M Street Crew was a racketeering drug enterprise that had taken over the 18th and M Street neighborhood and turned it into their own private marketplace for drug trafficking.

The prosecution grew out of a long-term FBI/MPD alliance called the Safe Streets Task force that targeted violent drug trafficking gangs in the District of Columbia. The Safe Streets Initiative is funded in part by the Baltimore Washington High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area as well as the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.

In announcing today’s sentence, U.S. Attorney Wainstein commended the actions of FBI Special Agent Richard Stallings and MPD Detective Joseph Sopata, who lead the investigative team. In addition, the U.S. Attorney commended the two prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Darlene Soltys and John P. Dominguez, who presented the evidence during the long trial and who argued in favor of imposition of the sentence.