BALTIMORE – United States District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Antonio Shropshire, a/k/a Brill, B, and Tony, age 34, to 25 years in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine relating to a drug trafficking organization in North Baltimore. Co-defendant Alexander Campbell, a/k/a Munch, age 29, of Baltimore was sentenced to 15 years and 8 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to evidence at presented at trial, from 2010 until the dates of their arrests, Shropshire and his co-conspirators distributed multiple kilograms of heroin to customers throughout the Baltimore area. Members of the conspiracy, known to law enforcement as the Shropshire Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO), distributed narcotics in Northern Baltimore, primarily near the Alameda Shopping Center. The Shropshire DTO distribution of heroin caused overdoses, including fatal overdoses. For example, on December 27, 2011, J.L. died as a result of the use of narcotics that were distributed by the DTO.
Shropshire used residences within Baltimore, Maryland to process, cut, repackage and prepare heroin for distribution to customers, routinely carried firearms in furtherance of the conspiracy and conducted counter-surveillance of law enforcement in an attempt to prevent law enforcement from detecting the illegal activities carried out by the Shropshire DTO.
In order to shield himself from law enforcement, Shropshire utilized various street dealers to distribute his heroin.
Fourteen former heroin customers of the defendants testified at trial, many of whom became addicted to heroin after having been prescribed or taken prescription opioids, including a customer who suffered from multiple sclerosis, a customer who had injured herself in a high school gymnastics accident and a customer who was prescribed opioid painkillers after surgery. Together, these customers purchased more than 17 kilograms of heroin from the defendants over the course of the seven-year conspiracy.
Evidence was presented at his sentencing hearing that Shropshire tried to bribe the police officers who transported him to federal court on the day of his arrest, telling them to keep the drugs they had seized from him and sell them so they could “buy something nice for their wives.” Judge Blake applied a sentencing enhancement for obstruction of justice after hearing this evidence.
Co-defendant Momodu Bondeva Kenton Gondo, a former member of the Baltimore Police Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF), provided sensitive law enforcement information to Shropshire and his co-conspirators in order to help the DTO. According to his plea agreement, Gondo admitted to providing protection, information and tips to Shropshire about how to avoid being arrested. For example, on March 31, 2016, Gondo alerted Shropshire that the Drug Enforcement Administration had installed a GPS tracking device on his vehicle. Shropshire, under Gondo’s instruction, then removed the GPS device and placed it on another vehicle.
Co-defendants Omari Thomas, a/k/a Lil’ Bril, Lil B, and Chewy, age 25, of Middle River, Maryland, was sentenced to 6 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. Antoine Washington, a/k/a Twan, age 27, of Baltimore and Glen Kyle Wells, a/k/a Lou, and Kyle, age 31, of Baltimore, were all convicted at trial and await sentencing.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the DEA, Harford County Sherriff’s Office and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leo J. Wise and Derek E. Hines, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.