BGF Leader Mark Bazemore Gets Life for Murder, Drugs

Baltimore’s streets just got one killer less. Mark Bazemore, a/k/a Uncle Mark, 31, of Baltimore, was sentenced to life in prison on November 14, 2016, by U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar for leading a violent racketeering conspiracy as head of the Black Guerilla Family (BGF). Convicted alongside three other gang members on June 6, 2016, Bazemore was found guilty of conspiring to commit murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder, drug trafficking, and using firearms during violent crimes — charges that paint a blueprint of terror he helped orchestrate across the city.

Michael Smith, Jr., a/k/a Mikey, Lil Mike, and Mik, 30, of Baltimore, took 210 months behind bars. Timothy Hurtt, a/k/a Uncle Tim and Tim, 45, of Baltimore County, was handed 324 months. Both will serve five years of supervised release after their terms. Irvin Vincent, 28, of Hanover, Maryland, was sentenced the same day to 18 years — 216 months — plus five years supervised release, for racketeering, drug distribution, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. All were tied to the same BGF web of blood and heroin.

The Black Guerilla Family isn’t just a street crew — it’s a militarized criminal enterprise operating inside and outside prison walls. Members follow a strict code. Break it, and you’re sanctioned — often with beatings, stabbings, or execution. Court evidence revealed Bazemore himself ordered the attempted murder of a fellow BGF member on March 10, 2014, and the June 16, 2014, killing of another, deemed disloyal. These weren’t rogue acts — they were commands from the top, enforced by a network trained to obey.

At the heart of the operation: money and control. Bazemore and Smith collected dues from BGF dealers running an open-air drug shop at Pratt and Payson Streets, a corner ruled by fear and heroin. Timothy Michael Gray, a/k/a Mike Gray, the self-styled ‘city-wide’ BGF commander, toured these spots with Hurtt driving, collecting cash and drugs. Hurtt wasn’t just a chauffeur — he provided armed security during high-stakes drug deals, a walking enforcer in a system built on violence.

Irvin Vincent expanded the reach beyond the city. His plea agreement confirmed he bought heroin in bulk, then funneled it to BGF members or intermediaries in Howard County and beyond. His role wasn’t just distribution — it was logistics for a gang that treated murder like a management tool. The entire conspiracy thrived on discipline, silence, and the constant threat of retaliation against anyone who cooperated with law enforcement.

“If we want to stop the killing in Baltimore, we need to remove the killers from Baltimore,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. The message is clear: this wasn’t just a prosecution — it was a surgical strike. With FBI, Baltimore PD, Howard County authorities, and prosecutors united, the takedown of Bazemore and his crew marks one of the most significant blows yet to the BGF’s grip on Maryland’s criminal underground.