BGF Leader Sentenced to Over 12 Years in Prison for Participating in a Racketeering Conspiracy

The DEA works hard to make sure criminals and racketeers are off the street.  Check out these Drug Enforcement Administration books and be amazed!

Final BGF Defendant Also Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy

BALTIMORE—U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr. sentenced Rainbow Williams, age 32, of Baltimore, today to 151 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a conspiracy to conduct and participate in the activities of the Black Guerilla Family (BGF), a racketeering enterprise.

Kimberly McIntosh, the final co-defendant and one of the leaders of the conspiracy, pleaded guilty on August 23, 2011, to her participation in the BGF racketeering conspiracy. On the same day, co-defendant Randolph Edison, a/k/a Uncle Rudy, age 52, of Baltimore, was sentenced to eight years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a stolen firearm.

The sentences and guilty plea were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Ava Cooper-Davis of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein; and Secretary Gary D. Maynard of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

According to their plea agreements, BGF is a nationwide gang operating in prison facilities and major cities throughout the United States. Founded in California in the 1960s and introduced into the Maryland correctional system in the mid 1990s, BGF in Maryland is increasingly active on the streets of Baltimore City, as well as in various prison facilities in Maryland.

BGF conducts its affairs through a pattern of criminal activity, including: narcotics trafficking, robbery; extortion; bribery; retaliation against a witness or informant; money laundering; and commercial robbery. BGF members arrange to have drugs, tobacco, cell phones, food, and other contraband smuggled into Maryland prison facilities, sometimes recruiting and paying employees of prison facilities, including corrections officers, to assist BGF and its members in the smuggling of contraband, the collection of intelligence and in the concealment of BGF’s criminal activities. BGF members use violence and threats of violence to coerce incarcerated persons to pay protection money to BGF, to enforce the BGF code of conduct, and to increase their control of the Baltimore City drug trade and the underground “prison economy” in Maryland correctional facilities.

According to their plea agreements, from 2006 through June 2010, Williams and McIntosh were members and leaders of BGF, enforcing discipline in the gang and directing and participating in the drug trafficking activities of the gang. It was forseeable that as a members of the conspiracy, Williams and McIntosh possessed with intent to distribute between 700 grams and one kilogram of heroin.

Specifically, at the direction of BGF leader Eric Brown, Rainbow Williams delivered contraband, including narcotics, to corrections officers to be smuggled into correctional facilities, sometimes paying the officer for smuggling the contraband into prison. Williams even attempted to smuggle contraband into a Maryland correctional facility via a pair of tennis shoes, but he was discovered by corrections officials.

During intercepted phone conversations, Williams and co-defendant Ray Olivis discussed the day to day operations of BGF, violations of BGF protocols, and the sanctions that should be ordered against the members violating those protocols. On April 9, 2009, Williams arranged a meeting of approximately 100 BGF members at Druid Hill Park in Baltimore. In another phone conversation, Olivis, Edison and other BGF members discussed retaliating against a suspected informant.

According to McIntosh’s plea agreement, at various times during the conspiracy McIntosh: stored heroin and packaging material at her residence in the 1100 block of Homewood Avenue; processed heroin for street level distribution on behalf of BGF; and sold heroin to fellow BGF members. McIntosh also hosted and participated in meetings of high ranking members of BGF at her home, where racketeering activities, including drug trafficking, robberies, and retaliation against rival gangs and BGF members who broke protocol, were discussed. McIntosh assisted BGF members in financing the racketeering enterprise, specifically, McIntosh formulated a plan to have each BGF commander on the streets of Baltimore raise $3,000 from his subordinates and transfer those funds to BGF’s central “treasury.” In addition, McIntosh collected membership dues from members, which were paid in part by the racketeering acts committed by members of the conspiracy.

Edison admitted that, on March 13, 2009, he was traveling in a car with three other individuals when the car was stopped by Baltimore Police officers. During the stop, officers recovered a stolen .44 caliber revolver from Edison.

Kimberly McIntosh faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Judge Quarles has scheduled her sentencing for November 8, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. Co-defendant Ray Olivis, a/k/a Ronnie Hargrove, Uncle Ray, Unc and Ray Ray, age 57, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison at his sentencing on December 8, 2011 at 9:30 a.m. Eric Brown, a/k/a E and EB, age 42, of Baltimore, was sentenced to 12 years in prison on August 18, 2011.

Mr. Rosenstein praised the DEA; Baltimore City Police Department; Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office; and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for their work in this investigation and prosecution; as well as the Baltimore County Police Department; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington D.C. Field Office, for their assistance.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked Baltimore City Assistant State’s Attorneys Antonio Gioia, Miabeth Marosy, and Rebecca Cox, for their work in the investigation and prosecution, and Assistant United States Attorneys James T. Wallner and Clinton J. Fuchs, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.