Washington, DC – As part of her effort to crack down on nuisance properties, Attorney General Linda Singer announced today that her Office obtained a consent order against Willie Truesdale. Mr. Truesdale is responsible for the estate of his late mother, which includes a row house located at 723 Taylor Street, NW. The property has been occupied by Willie Truesdale’s brothers Donnie C. Truesdale and Gregory Truesdale since the death of their mother in 2003.
According to papers filed in Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Donnie C. Truesdale and Gregory Truesdale have used the property at 723 Taylor Street, NW to facilitate the unlawful distribution, storage and use of controlled substances and drug paraphernalia. On October 3, 2006, the Metropolitan Police Department executed a search warrant and recovered crack cocaine and a shotgun from the property. Donnie Truesdale was charged with a firearms violation and Gregory Truesdale was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. Another individual was charged with possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine. On June 14, 2007, the Metropolitan Police Department executed another search warrant and recovered crack cocaine, marijuana and heroin. Donnie and Gregory Truesdale were both charged with a violation of the National Firearms Act. Six other individuals on the premises were charged with possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine.
The civil complaint, which was filed by the Attorney General under the District’s Drug and Prostitution Related Nuisance Abatement Act, alleges that the use of the property for drug activity has had an adverse impact on the neighborhood. According to the complaint, area residents are fearful to walk through the 700 block of Taylor Street, NW because of the extensive drug-related activity in and around the property. Nearby residents also have been threatened by people who appear to be involved in the distribution and use of drugs.
In the consent order, which was agreed to by the parties and approved by Superior Court Judge Robert Tignor, Mr. Truesdale has been given until August 1st to take action to evict Donnie C. Truesdale and Gregory Truesdale.
“We expect that Mr. Truesdale will comply with its terms,” said Attorney General Singer. General Singer added, “If he does not comply we will return to court to ask that he be held in contempt.”
In announcing the victory in this case, Attorney General Singer explained that this is part of her Office’s effort, in conjunction with other District agencies, to focus additional attention to nuisance properties. Currently the Attorney General’s Office is investigating one hundred and fifty properties, including almost fifty alleged drug nuisances. Since 2006, the Office of the Attorney General has resolved over one hundred and seventy five nuisance properties, including abating twenty three alleged drug nuisances and shutting down four alleged prostitution nuisance properties earlier this year.
Earlier this year, Attorney General Singer and Police Chief Cathy Lanier were instrumental and re-constituting the District’s Nuisance Property Task Force. The Task Force, which includes representatives from the Office of the Mayor, the Office of the Attorney General, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, the United States Attorney’s Office and the DC Housing Authority, handles certain types of nuisance properties that require significant interagency coordination. While the Task Force is not designed to address all nuisance properties, the individual agencies involved with the Task Force are working on a combined total of more than two thousand alleged nuisance properties.
In announcing today’s victory, Attorney General Singer thanked her staff in the Neighborhood and Victim Services Section for their hard work. General Singer also expressed her gratitude to the members of the Metropolitan Police Department for their outstanding work in this case.