FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For Information Contact Public Affairs Channing Phillips (202) 514-6933
Washington, D.C. - United States Attorney Wilma A. Lewis, Assistant
Director in Charge of the FBI's
Washington Field Office Jimmy C. Carter, and Metropolitan Police Department
("MPD") Chief
Charles H. Ramsey announced today the unsealing of a 76-count federal
indictment that charged Kevin L. Gray , Rodney L. Moore ,
and 11 other persons with conspiracy to participate in a racketeer influenced
and corrupt organization ("RICO") and a narcotics conspiracy.
The defendants are also charged with numerous violent crimes, including
16 separate murders, and specific drug trafficking and weapons offenses.
Gray and Moore , alone, are charged with supervising a continuing
criminal drug enterprise ("CCE") dating back to 1988.
"Although the investigation is continuing, the unsealing of today's
indictment coupled with the defendants' arrests should go a long way to
putting an end to this very violent drug organization," said U.S.
Attorney Wilma A. Lewis . "As this indictment indicates,
we will use all available and legitimate means to investigate and prosecute
individuals who engage in this sort of ruthless and violent behavior.
Our city has had more than it should ever have to tolerate."
As alleged in the indictment, Kevin Gray and Rodney Moore
were the leaders of an organization whose members enriched themselves
through drug trafficking and committing murders and other acts of violence.
The organization distributed large quantities of cocaine, crack
cocaine, heroin, and marijuana in several neighborhoods in Southeast and
Northeast, Washington, D.C., including the 2800 block of Robinson Place,
S.E., the 1500 block of Congress Place, S.E., the 3100 block of 15th Place,
S.E., the 1500 block of Alabama Avenue, S.E., the 4300 block of Halley
Terrace, S.E., the 500 and 600 blocks of F Street, N.E., the 500 through
the 1000 blocks of 6th Street, N.E., the 600 block of Lexington, N.E.,
and the 700 and 1200 blocks of H Street, N.E. The indictment includes
charges against the following defendants:
- Kevin Gray , 28, 2765 Naylor Road, S.E., Washington, D.C.;
- Rodney Moore, aka "Rasoo," 35, 4258 4th
Street, S.E., Washington, D.C.;
- Maurice Andrews, aka "Mo Brown," 29, 3198
15th Place, S.E., Washington, D.C.
- Jermaine N. Vick, aka "Pappy," 27, 2837
Robinson St., S.E., Washington, D.C.;
- John Raynor, aka "Buck," 26, 14 S Street, N.E.,
Washington, D.C.;
- Omar Wazir, aka "Earl Walker," aka "Stink,"
30, District Heights, Maryland;
- Frank Howard, aka "Fat Frank," 30, 3086 Stanton
Rd., S.E., Washington, D.C.;
- Dennis Robinson, 25, Hillcrest Heights, MD;
- Bryan Bostick, 30, 633 Atlantic St., S.E., Washington, D.C.;
- Derrick Moore, aka "DJ," 32, 526 H Street, N.E.,
Washington, D.C.;
- Roy Johnson, 32, 3724 Hayes St., N.E., Washington, D.C.
- Kenneth Simmons, aka "Garma-Goo," 30, 120 Victor
St., N.E., Washington, D.C.; and
- Wilford Oliver, aka "Woofus," 52,1018 Sixth Street,
N.E., Washington, D.C.
To maintain and expand their drug operations, members of the conspiracy
committed murders, armed robberies and assaults at the direction of Kevin
Gray and Rodney Moore . The first murder charged in the
indictment occurred in 1990; the last took place on August 9, 1999. Specifically,
the indictment charges Kevin Gray with 15 separate murders and
Rodney Moore with 7 separate murders. The murders included
those committed to protect the activities of the organization, murders
of persons suspected of cooperating with law enforcement, and those committed
as contract murders for hire.
Today's indictment stems from a long-term investigation conducted by the
Safe Streets Task Force, a joint FBI/MPD task force that targets gang
activity in the District of Columbia. In October 1999, a federal grand
jury returned an indictment charging Kevin Gray, Rodney Moore and
others with participating in a drug conspiracy. The racketeering
enterprise charged in today's indictment adds seven additional defendants
and 16 murders.
If convicted of the charges, all thirteen defendants face the possibility
of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Additionally,
eleven of the defendants are charged in death penalty eligible counts.
Today's indictment is part of a larger investigation which is based on
evidence the Safe Streets Task Force has gathered over several years.
To date, investigating agents have executed 54 search warrants,
several of which led to specific drug and weapons charges in this indictment.
Agents have seized multiple kilograms of illegal drugs, 36 firearms, 9
vehicles, and over $150,000 in currency. In total, fifty individuals have
been charged thus far over the course of the investigation.
In announcing today's events, U.S. Attorney Lewis, Assistant Director
Carter, and Chief Ramsey praised the efforts of the Safe Streets Task
Force. They specifically commended Special Agents Daniel Sparks,
Kyle Fulmer, James Burton, Rob Lockhart of the FBI and Detectives Konstantinos
Giannakoulias, Tom Webb, Joseph Cabillo, Arthur Reed, and Shelly Cabillo
of the Metropolitan Police Department. They praised the assistance of
Paralegal Specialists Debra Moriarty, Victoria Ashton, Barbara Necastro
of the United States Attorney's Office, and they thanked Assistant United
States Attorneys Timothy J. Heaphy and Matthew G. Olsen, who returned
the indictment and will prosecute the case at trial.
Update (May 10, 2000)
Currently, all but three of the 13 suspects have been apprehended. The
three suspects still at large are:
- Frank
Howard, aka "Fat Frank"
- Derrick
Moore, aka "DJ"
- Wilford
Oliver, aka "Woofus"