By the mid-1970s, handful of kingpins with syndicates made up of family members and trusted associates controlled the lion's share of narcotics distribution in Baltimore. Survivors include his wife, Mary Williams; and two daughters. [2] Vernon Guidry, Jr. Baltimore is Among Best in Using Drug Kingpin Law, Baltimore Sun, February 16 1983, A1; Ann LoLordo, City Narcotics Squad Seeks Containment Baltimore Sun, September 18 1983, 1; Baltimore Afro-American, Drug Agents Claim Victories in Ongoing War Against Drugs, January 10, 1987, 3. Catonsville, Melvin Douglas "Little Melvin" Williams (December 14, 1941 - December 3, 2015) was an African-American actor, author, entrepreneur, public speaker, educator, community activist, gambler and reformed drug trafficker.Considered a drug kingpin in the 1960s, Williams was known for trafficking heroin in Baltimore before he was sentenced to prison in 1985. . Mr. Simon addressed the question in 2004: "Avon Barksdale? Stokes, as well as Maurice Farmer, 47, of Baltimore, have been charged with Participation in a Criminal Organization, Volume Dealer, Possession with the Intent to Distribute, and related charges. He headed the DEA office here before leaving in 2015 to run the agency's Philadelphia office. We simply have to do more for ourselves, Mayor Kurt Schmoke noted at his second inauguration. The Baltimore drug scene, as seen through the eyes of drug dealers and law enforcement. Despite its horrific track record from Baltimore to Acapulco and points in between, the kingpin strategy soldiers on. [6] Sandy Banisky, Schmoke Begins Chapter 2, Baltimore Sun, December 4, 1991. By the mid-1970s, handful of kingpins with syndicates made up of family members and trusted associates controlled the lions share of narcotics distribution in Baltimore. "It was very stressful. After the service, Melvin went and talked to them. Veteran cops believed they could plant the flag while BPD executives pledged to take back the drug corners and hold them.[13] The BPD had been making big busts for years but claimed that this scheme was different because it responded to citizen requests and improved local conditions. What started in South Baltimores Locust Point and areas near downtown, is slowly expanding into other sections of the city, especially places near key city attractions. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Disrupting this large-scale, interstate drug trafficking ring is a tremendous step toward restoring peace and public safety, and I thank our partners in this case and applaud their hard work in obtaining these criminal indictments., Illegal drug distribution affects the very foundation of our families and communities so every time we take cocaine and firearms off the street, lives are saved, states Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, of the Washington Division Office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Your email address will not be published. Barely out of his teens, he built himself a reputation as one of the wealthiest drug lords to come out of New York and the youngest to be charged with the kingpin statute. He is not Melvin Williams, or Warren Boardley, or Linwood Williams, or Peanut King. All Rights Reserved. With that comes certain investments and improvements along the way I will need to make, like up to date camera equipment, renting venues to shoot, new lightning, microphones etc. "He was one of the most unusual clients because he was so straightforward and honest with me, the courts and police," said Howard L. Cardin, another attorney who represented him. "Little" Melvin Williams, the infamous Baltimore drug kingpin whose rise to power was one of the inspirations for HBO's "The Wire" and who also appeared as an actor on the show, died Thursday at the age of 73. Stars: Dominic West, Lance Reddick, Sonja Sohn, Wendell Pierce Votes: 345,854 3. [5] A major point of contention is Barksdale's claim that his middle name is Avon. BALTIMORE, MD In the 1990s, Baltimore's Linwood "Rudy" Williams was charged with trafficking 30 kilos of heroin with a street value of $10 million. Smith sent money for the payment of the drugs back to California in concealed compartments on the car carriers. Steven Blackwell of Elkton pleaded guilty . In addition to the name and the boxing background, for example, in Easy Money, Simon claims that Marlow Bates and Timmirror Stanfield were rivals of Barksdale's. He appeared with Maj. Gen. George Gelston, the commander of the Maryland National Guard, on the front page of The Baltimore News American. The strategy is popular with the press, politicians, and the public, who want to see these so-called pushers punished. At the time, Mr. Williams was serving a 35-year federal sentence for drug distribution. "They shared some very funny moments. He also brought in lawyers to talk about the criminal justice system and procedures, Dr. 201 47 r/Mafia Join 28 days ago I've got guys who would eat your fucking eyes out of your head! Originally the citys black population made their home in a small section of East Baltimore. Among the most sophisticated was Maurice Peanut King. In November, U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds gave Brown additional. The HBO's show creator David Simon was responsible for covering the arrest for . Schmoke donned a bulletproof vest with community volunteers in a symbolic occupation of drug corners, urging citizens to work with the police. "Disputes between rival drug gangs lead to many shootings and murders in Baltimore City," said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur. [6], In the 1999 film Liberty Heights, the character Little Melvin portrayed by actor Orlando Jones is loosely based upon Williams in the early stages of his career. While the other sections of the West Side are the Northwest hoods of Park Heights and Liberty Heights, or Southwest Baltimore with hoods like Irv Town and Yale Heights. He spoke against drug use and trafficking. Drug czar William Bennett coined the wars motto: Last years hopeless cause is this years revived opportunity for victory.[20]. A group of about twenty boys banded together as Def City for camaraderie, sports, neighborhood protection, and the typical juvenile delinquency. Unlike the initial peaceful protests following Gray's death, Monday's demonstration turned into a riot. Holding court in East Baltimore's gritty neighborhoods and holding fast to his thuglife ideals of "get mine or be mine." The most feared drug dealer and gangster in Charm City, AJ allegedly ordered murders from his prison cell. Theres a Bodie character in this tale, theres an Avon Barksdale character. In a video posted on YouTube in 2012, Mr. Williams said he had sold $1 billion worth of illegal narcotics in his lifetime. Videos. All this enforcement rewarded Baltimore with the nations highest rates of drug addiction throughout the 1990s. "Melvin did a lot of damage and he'd be the first to admit it," Mr. Simon said Thursday. Just north of East Baltimore is the Northeast section with the Baltimore hoods of York Road, Greenmount, Northwoods, Hillen Road, Belair Road, and Ramblewood. Smith directed others in acquiring, transporting and delivering the cocaine, and in laundering the proceeds from the cocaine sales. King aggressively marketed heroin and, after adult dealers were imprisoned for longer terms, brought on juveniles to hawk on the streets. To make matters worse, in the mid-1980s New York City dealers flooded into Baltimore with deeply discounted products in what felt like an invasion. Sons of Anarchy (2008-2014) TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller 8.6 Rate A biker struggles to balance being a father and being involved in an outlaw motorcycle club. Despite the federal drug investigation, the gun charge, and accusations by Charli Baltimore, Brown remains free on bond. "He had Saturday training sessions for young people in his building on North Avenue," said Dr. Philip Leaf, director of the Center for the Prevention of Youth Violence at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Melvin Williams, whose life as a West Baltimore drug kingpin in the 1960s and post-prison redemption earned him a place in HBO's "The Wire," died Thursday at the University of Maryland Medical Center. However, Nathan Barksdale claimed that Bates was a close friend of his. The Barksdale family was famous in their day in West Baltimore back in the '80s for their endeavors in the projects. The records provide a backstory to an epic seizure in suburban Detroit in July 2017 and identify the accused kingpin who headed a nationwide drug ring that sold kilograms of fentanyl, heroin. All rights reserved. I started doing interviews and reporting on urban entertainment news about a little over a year ago and to my surprise it's doing better than I thought. The heroin had a wholesale value of $300,000. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, these prosecutions were money-making operations. Smith was responsible for the distribution of more than 1,000 kilograms of cocaine during a period of less than two years. Drug kingpin. However, he appealed his sentence and it was overturned due to the sentence being outside of the mandatory guidelines. However, during that time, the Baltimore Sun reports: "Barksdale said he had lapsed back into heroin addiction and had been running a scam to feed his habit. He came with me to Chester, Pa., and Atlanta to help people get out of gangs. Both were arrested. How to use kingpin in a sentence. [5], Williams began to appear on the HBO show The Wire during the show's second season. Baltimore native Gary Tuggle began a 30-year career in law enforcement as a city police officer. 817-378-1500. Learn how your comment data is processed. After four were shot, some decided the risks were not worth it. "The citizens complained, and the citizens bring information to us, and the citizens cry out about open air drug markets . "As a teen I had heard about him and one day, years later, I mentioned from the pulpit there were people selling drugs on Etting Street. The West Baltimore hoods include places like SandTown, Edmondson Avenue, Walbrook JCT, Whitelock City, McCulloh Homes, Poe Homes, Poplar Grove, Fayette Street, North and Pulaski, Edmondson Village, and much more. A DEA official acknowledged that the influx filled the void created by locking up men like King and Meredith. The Wylie Funeral Home, 701 N. Mount St., is making funeral arrangements. The flow of narcotics and firearms into our communities must stop, said Attorney General Brown. The Team At Daily Voice Wants. ", He said they came away from the meeting and offered Mr. Williams the role of the deacon on "The Wire.". [1], During the early 1980s, law enforcement waged an energetic, expensive effort to pursue these chiefs. "Melvin was determined to become a mentor and a role model. In the violent world of Bodymore's inner city drug gangs, at the young age of 18, Anthony Jones reigned king. As police and federal agents began to crack down, by the mid-90s the kingpin model turned into a crew or clique of individuals, even though there were plenty exceptions. At that point, he had served nearly four years on a handgun conviction. DAYTON A drug trafficking kingpin who delivered large quantities of cocaine here from California, marijuana from Texas and heroin from Washington, D.C., will spend the rest of . Melvin Williams, whose life as a West Baltimore drug kingpin in the 1960s and post-prison redemption earned him a place in HBO's "The Wire," died Thursday at the University of Maryland. "[B]y the end of that decade he had become a local criminal legend," wrote City Paper in 2013. DeSantis whines about 'woke' politicians, avoids thorny issues like abortion, book bans and LGBTQ rights . 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