Bryan “Ice” Rice Sentenced to 10 Years for Narcotics Trafficking, Gun Charge

Bryan Rice, 35, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 120 months in prison for trafficking fentanyl and cocaine base in an open-air drug market in Northwest and being in possession of a firearm at a District nightclub, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.

Rice pleaded guilty January 5, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute narcotics and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. In addition to the 10-year prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton ordered Rice to serve four years of supervised release.

According to court documents, Rice sold both fentanyl and cocaine base, including distribution quantities of each, to undercover officers on five occasions between October 20, 2021, and March 24, 2022. When he was arrested on April 25, 2022, Rice was at the Rosebar Lounge, a nightclub on Connecticut Avenue. During an altercation, he was observed by police with a firearm in his waistband.

The weapon, a 9mm Glock 17 with 17 rounds in the magazine, had been outfitted with a machine gun conversion device, which is designed to allow the gun to be fired as a fully automatic weapon. Rice, aka “Ice,” has six prior adult convictions, including an armed robbery in 2006, possession of a firearm in 2009, robbery and theft-related offenses in 2014 and 2019, and possession of cocaine in April 2022.

This case stems from a collaborative investigation by the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) of MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division, the FBI Washington Field Office’s Cross Border Safe Streets Task Force, the Washington Division of the DEA, and the U.S. Park Police. The Cross Border Safe Streets Task Force targets the most egregious and violent street crews operating in the District of Columbia.

The investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Solomon Eppel of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section, with valuable assistance provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Wasserman and Kevin Rosenberg and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shaunik Panse.