Jerryan Burrell, Hillside Drug Distribution Conspiracy, MD 2024

Baltimore, Maryland – In a gritty victory against one of the city’s most notorious drug rings, U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III today sentenced Jerryan Burrell, a/k/a Rhino, age 31, to 20 years in federal prison for leading the Hillside drug distribution conspiracy.

Burrell and his accomplice Devin Rodgers, a/k/a Donkey and Dick Butkus, age 21, have been tied to Hillside, a drug empire that operated in Cherry Hill for 14 years. Both men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, powder and crack cocaine, marijuana, and oxycodone.

According to U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein, the Hillside group is accused of being involved in 13 murders and 21 non-fatal shootings, highlighting the severity of their operations. Rosenstein emphasized that conspiracy cases are crucial for dismantling violent criminal organizations like Hillside.

Burrell and Rodgers are said to have distributed drugs primarily from Cherry Hill Shopping Center and other locations. They used proceeds from their illegal trade to buy weapons, enrich themselves, and bolster the drug ring’s activities. The duo also used colored vials or food coloring to distinguish their narcotics on the street.

During their tenure with Hillside, Burrell and Rodgers were alleged to have distributed substantial amounts of drugs: between one and three kilograms of heroin, 280 to 840 grams of crack cocaine, five to 15 kilograms of powder cocaine, along with marijuana and oxycodone. The group’s violence was not limited to drug trafficking; it extended to armed robberies and disciplinary actions against its own members.

Since 2013, federal prosecutors have convicted at least 35 members from rival drug-dealing organizations in the Cherry Hill area. Rosenstein commended the ATF, Baltimore Police Department, and Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their diligent work in this case, along with support from the FBI, Baltimore County Police Department, Anne Arundel County Police Department, and Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office.