Jailhouse Corrupt: COs & Supplier Get Decades for BGF Smuggling

BALTIMORE, MD – The rot within the Baltimore City Detention Center (BCDC) deepened today as several former correctional officers and a drug supplier received federal prison sentences for their roles in a racketeering conspiracy to smuggle contraband to members of the notorious Black Guerilla Family (BGF) gang. The sentences, handed down by U.S. District Judges Ellen L. Hollander and J. Frederick Motz, represent a significant, though likely incomplete, reckoning for widespread corruption at the facility.

U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced former correctional officer Derrick Jones, age 41, of Aberdeen, Maryland, to 20 months in prison, followed by 18 months of supervised release, for racketeering conspiracy. Linnard Wortham, a/k/a “Stu,” age 29, of Pikesville, Maryland, received a harsher sentence of 10 years in prison, plus five years of supervised release, for the same conspiracy and for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine. Judge Hollander is expected to sentence remaining defendants who pleaded guilty but did not testify at trial.

Meanwhile, Judge J. Frederick Motz continued to deliver penalties. Former correctional officer Katera Stevenson, a/k/a KK, age 24, of Baltimore, was sentenced to two years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Last week, Motz sentenced Danielle Forrest, age 28, to 21 months in prison; and Jasmin Jones, a/k/a/ J.J., age 24, and Tanierdra Finch age 26, both of Baltimore, each to a year and a day in prison. Vivian Matthews, another former CO, received six months of home detention, and supplier Teshawn Pinder received time served, both followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Motz is handling sentencing for those who pleaded guilty and testified, as well as those convicted at trial.

The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein, alongside officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS), the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office. Secretary Stephen T. Moyer of DPSCS stated, “I have a strong relationship with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and look forward to working with them and the FBI to continue weeding out corruption.” The case originated from the Maryland Prison Task Force, established in 2011 to address systemic issues within the state’s correctional system.

Court documents reveal that the BGF has long held sway at BCDC and connected facilities, including the Central Booking Intake Center and the Women’s Detention Center. Tavon White and other BGF leaders allegedly directed the smuggling of cell phones, tobacco, and drugs – facilitated by corrupt correctional officers – in exchange for payments, gifts, or a share of the profits. Katera Stevenson, Derrick Jones, Danielle Forrest, Jasmin Jones, Tanierdra Finch, and Vivian Matthews all admitted to aiding in this illicit trade, smuggling items like tobacco, marijuana, and prescription drugs for distribution by BGF members. Jones specifically confessed to bringing in cell phones, while Matthews provided pills to associates of White for smuggling into the jail.

This case underscores the deep-seated vulnerabilities within the BCDC and the lengths to which the BGF will go to maintain control. While these sentences send a message, investigators are continuing to probe the extent of the corruption, suggesting more indictments and convictions may be on the horizon. The question remains: how many more guards turned a blind eye – or actively participated – in this criminal enterprise, and what systemic changes are needed to prevent a repeat of this scandal?