Baltimore, MD – In a shocking turn of events, five defendants, including a corrections officer, pleaded guilty to their involvement in a racketeering conspiracy in which drugs and other contraband were smuggled into Baltimore City Detention Center (BCDC) and other facilities for members of the Black Guerilla Family (BGF) gang.
The defendants, all from Baltimore, admitted to their roles in the conspiracy, which date back to 2012 and 2013. Among those who pleaded guilty were Katrina Laprade, a 31-year-old corrections officer at BCDC, Kenneth Parham, a 23-year-old BGF inmate, and Tyrone Thompson, a 36-year-old supplier of contraband.
Laprade admitted to helping smuggle contraband, including marijuana and tobacco, into BCDC on behalf of Stephen Loney, a BGF leader. Parham, who was in pretrial custody at BCDC from 2012 to 2013, directed the smuggling of contraband into BCDC, including cell phones, tobacco, and drugs, through the services of corrections officers who received payments, gifts, or a share of the profits.
Thompson admitted to distributing prescription pills to other co-defendants who then smuggled the pills to inmates at BCDC. Jermaine McFadden, a 24-year-old inmate, arranged with corrections officers to bring contraband into BCDC and sold it to other inmates, including members of BGF. Teshawn Pinder, a 24-year-old supplier, picked up controlled substances and other contraband from sources outside BCDC and helped pay for the drugs.
The defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the racketeering conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander scheduled sentencing for Parham, Pinder, and Thompson on February 6, 2014, and scheduled sentencing for Laprade and McFadden on March 12, 2014.
This is the latest in a string of guilty pleas from corrections officers involved in the racketeering enterprise. Seven other corrections officers have already pleaded guilty, including Kimberly Dennis, Jasmin Jones, Taryn Kirkland, Jennifer Owens, Adrena Rice, Katera Stevenson, and Jasmine Thornton.
The Black Guerilla Family has been the dominant gang at BCDC, and its influence extends to several connected facilities, including the Baltimore Central Booking Intake Center, the Women’s Detention Center, and the Jail Industries Building.
Related Federal Cases
- MS-13 Member Salmeron-Larios and Five Others Hit With Federal Indictment for Racketeering · Maryland
- Pasadena Man Gets Booked for Child Porn Conspiracy · Maryland
- Baltimore Bank Robber Gets Over 9 Years · Maryland
- Ramon Ingram Sentenced for Baltimore Bank Fraud Scheme · Maryland
- Rodney Russell Sentenced for Heroin Distribution Conspiracy · Maryland
Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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