Baltimore, MD – In a shocking display of corruption and greed, Russell Carrington, a 34-year-old leader in the notorious Black Guerilla Family (BGF) gang, has been sentenced to 210 months in prison, followed by six years of supervised release, for his role in a racketeering and drug conspiracy that plagued the Baltimore City Detention Center (BCDC).
Carrington, who was convicted on February 5, 2015, after a lengthy trial, was found guilty of participating in the smuggling of drugs and contraband into the BCDC, where he was an inmate. He was aided by corrupt correctional officers, including Jennifer Owens, Milshenna Peoples, and Javonne Lunkin, who were sentenced to a year and a day in prison each, followed by three years of supervised release.
According to trial testimony and court documents, the BGF gang has been the dominant gang at the BCDC, and in several connected facilities, including the Baltimore Central Booking Intake Center, the Women’s Detention Center, and the Jail Industries Building. Tavon White and other BGF leaders and members incarcerated at BCDC were involved in the smuggling of contraband, including cell phones, tobacco, and drugs, through the services of correctional officers who received payments, gifts, or a share of the profits.
Carrington was a BGF leader who sold Percocet pills, which correctional officers smuggled into the jail for him. He had a sexual relationship with a correctional officer, who helped him finance his drug operations by keeping Green Dot cards for him. In 2012, Carrington introduced Tavon White and a correctional officer to a source of supply for Percocet pills. He also attempted to recruit other correctional officers to smuggle contraband into BCDC.
The sentences were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Secretary Stephen T. Moyer of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS); Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby.
The case developed as a result of the efforts of the Maryland Prison Task Force, formed in 2011 with the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, and prosecutors. Investigations are continuing into the corruption and racketeering activities that plagued the BCDC.
Russell Carrington, Defendant
Exact Criminal Charges: Racketeering and Drug Conspiracy
City and State: Baltimore, Maryland
Exact Date: February 5, 2015 (sentencing date)
Sentence: 210 months in prison, followed by six years of supervised release
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- Hernan Yanes-Rivera, Racketeering Conspiracy, Maryland 2023 · Delaware
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- James Henry Roberts, Racketeering Conspiracy and Murder, Maryland 2023 · Maryland
Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Organized Crime|Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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