WASHINGTON D.C. – Two District of Columbia men are off the streets for a long stretch after a federal judge handed down 15-year prison sentences for their roles in a major drug trafficking operation. Charles Cunningham, 59, and Tyrone Ragland, 57, both of D.C., were sentenced today for flooding the metropolitan area with PCP, fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine, and for illegally possessing firearms used to protect their illicit business, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Cunningham pleaded guilty on May 7th, just before trial was set to begin, to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, with sentencing enhanced under the Armed Career Criminal Act. U.S. District Court Judge Jia M. Cobb sentenced him to 180 months behind bars, followed by three years of supervised release. Ragland, also known as “Tech,” entered a guilty plea on the same day to conspiracy to distribute one kilogram of PCP, earning him a matching 180-month sentence and five years of supervised release after his release.
Court documents reveal a network centered around co-defendant Melvin Grayson, who allegedly distributed PCP, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin throughout the D.C. metro area. Cunningham and Ragland, along with others, actively conspired with Grayson to push these narcotics. Law enforcement raids on multiple residences uncovered a significant cache of contraband: six firearms, over 2.5 kilograms of PCP, more than 100 grams of fentanyl, and a staggering $50,000 in cash.
On January 11, 2023, FBI agents hit Cunningham’s 13th Street, NE residence, unearthing a veritable drug stash. Over 1,500 grams of PCP, 50 grams of cocaine, 50 grams of crack, and 270 grams of fentanyl were seized. Agents discovered a loaded Glock 31 handgun hidden in the oven, nestled next to packages of drugs prepared for street-level distribution. The evidence demonstrates Cunningham acted as a key storage point, warehousing bulk narcotics for redistribution by the conspiracy.
Simultaneous searches of two residences linked to Ragland yielded further evidence of the operation’s scope. At his Eastern Ave SW apartment, agents found dozens of glass vials used for PCP distribution, multiple cell phones, and a digital scale. A second location on 6th Street SW, where Ragland had unrestricted access, revealed a firearm concealed between a mattress and headboard, along with 626 grams of PCP, 41 grams of cocaine, and $16,230 in cash. The scale of the operation is clear.
The investigation was a collaborative effort led by the FBI’s Washington Field Office Cross Border Task Force and the DEA Washington Division, with support from the MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division and the Prince George’s County Police Department. The task force, part of the FBI’s Safe Streets Initiative, focuses on dismantling the most violent street crews in the District. Assistance was also provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the Baltimore/Washington High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar R. Mohanty and Iris Y. McCranie of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Case number: 23cr007.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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