Twelve people are in custody following a sweeping, multistate law enforcement operation targeting a drug trafficking ring accused of flooding the D.C. region with PCP and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced Tuesday.
The arrests come one year to the day after the launch of an investigation led by the FBI鈥檚 Washington Field Office in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration and D.C. police.
Agents executed approximately 20 residential search warrants early Tuesday morning in D.C., Maryland and Los Angeles. Authorities ultimately seized 18 firearms, more than $50,000 in cash and two kilograms of suspected narcotics including powder fentanyl, cocaine and crack.
鈥淭his investigation is the culmination of a , and last week on Aug. 21 my office indicted eight individuals for PCP and fentanyl trafficking as well as conspiracy,鈥� Pirro said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
鈥淲e are dealing with serious narcotics trafficking, including a 17-gallon shipment of PCP intercepted earlier this year outside of Topeka, Kansas.鈥�
Pirro said eight individuals were indicted last week, and seven of them have now been taken into custody. Those arrested include suspects from California, Baltimore and the greater D.C. region.
Among those indicted and arrested are:
- Thomas Wilton Hancock, Jr., 43, of Baltimore
- Eric 鈥淢arbury鈥� Prather, 43, of D.C.
- Reginald Lassiter, 39, of D.C.
- Leonard Edwards, 52, of D.C.
- Darryl Riley, 39, of D.C.
- Michael Thomas, 49, of Los Angeles
- Sarda Smith, 36, of Oxon Hill
One indicted individual remains at large under a sealed indictment.
Five additional defendants were arrested Tuesday on related charges, including a felon in possession of a firearm, conspiracy to distribute narcotics and illegal reentry into the United States. One of the additional defendants had been deported three times before being found in possession of a firearm.
鈥淭his is what the President is talking about 鈥� this is part of cleaning up the district and the nation鈥檚 capital,鈥� Pirro said. 鈥淭hese arrests, and the seizure of all these weapons indicate the seriousness of the crime that is occurring in our community.鈥�
Officials said the trafficking operation centered around the 2900 block of Knox Place SE, a neighborhood Pirro described as having 鈥渁n inordinate amount of violent crime,鈥� including at least five homicides in the past year.
The D.C.-based dealers allegedly sourced drugs from Baltimore, with a coconspirator importing large volumes of narcotics from California.
The charges carry significant penalties; six of the eight indicted defendants face mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years, while two face at least 15 years minimum.
At Tuesday鈥檚 news conference, Phil Bates, acting assistant director in charge of the FBI鈥檚 Washington Field Office, emphasized the scope and impact of the investigation.
鈥淥ver the last year, the FBI led an investigation into this violent drug trafficking ring based in Southeast D.C.,鈥� Bates said. 鈥淭heir network stretched from coast to coast. That鈥檚 12 violent drug traffickers and 18 firearms that are no longer on our streets.鈥�
In addition to firearms, agents recovered a pill press commonly used to manufacture fentanyl tablets. Seized weapons included an AR-style rifle, a shotgun and a Draco-style pistol.
Pirro praised the coordinated efforts of federal and local agencies for 鈥渁 very sophisticated and almost flawlessly executed operation.”
鈥淲hat we do is we work our way up the chain, and we got some major, prolific drug dealers,” Pirro said.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sitara Witanachchi, Matthew W. Kinskey and John Parron of the U.S. Attorney鈥檚 Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section.
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