Department of Justice

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment charging 16 individuals in a violent drug distribution conspiracy operating in the Edmondson Village neighborhood in southwest Baltimore. The indictment was returned on June 20, 2019 and unsealed on July 3, 2019. Fourteen defendants have been arrested and of those, 12 have been ordered to be detained pending trial, including Justin Antoine, who had his detention hearing yesterday. The following defendants, all from Baltimore, are charged in the indictment:

Justin Antoine, a/k/a Justo, age 23;

Rodney Bass, a/k/a Boo, age 57;

Corey Bell, a/k/a Bell, age 38;

Davon Boykin, age 33;

Calvin Claxton, a/k/a Cal, age 39;

Cortney Crawley, a/k/a C Murda, age 25;

Eryica Davis, a/k/a Miss Cookie, age 45;

Cedric Hite, a/k/a Hector, age 68;

William Jackson, age 56;

Raekwon Jones, a/k/a Kwon, age 20;

Ronald Jones, age 51;

Shelton Lewis, age 54;

Adam Martin, a/k/a Fats, age 36;

Rodney Matthews, a/k/a Rod, age 20;

Neal Pinkney, age 52; and

Robert Williams, a/k/a Uncle Rob, age 62.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

"Federal, state, and local law enforcement are working together to target members of violent

drug gangs operating in Baltimore City," said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. "This indictment alleges that this drug trafficking organization brought danger to our community through the deadly combination of guns and drugs. Now they will face years in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever. Please, put down the guns and save a life—maybe even your own."

The six-count superseding indictment alleges that from at least 2018 to June 20, 2019, the defendants were members and associates of the Adam Martin and Calvin Claxton drug trafficking organization, and conspired to distribute heroin, powder cocaine, and crack cocaine to drug users and redistributors in and around the Edmondson Village neighborhood of southwest Baltimore. According to the superseding indictment, members of the drug trafficking organization used residences in and around Baltimore to process, cut, package, and prepare the drugs for distribution. The defendants allegedly changed cell phones frequently to prevent the interception of their communications by law enforcement, and possessed firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking activities.

According to the superseding indictment, the members of the conspiracy used violence to retaliate against those seeking to rob or cheat the drug trafficking organization. The superseding indictment details several of these acts, including a shooting murder on May 5, 2018, a gunfight on October 16, 2018 in which an unarmed bystander was struck in the crossfire, and the planned robbery of an unlicensed taxi driver.

As detailed in the superseding indictment, during the course of the investigation law enforcement seized at least ten firearms, ammunition, drugs, and more than $20,000 in drug proceeds.

If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of life in prison for the conspiracy. Justin Antoine, Eryica Davis, and Shelton Lewis also face a maximum of life in prison for possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Antoine also faces a maximum of 40 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine; Lewis faces a maximum of life in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm; and Robert Williams faces a maximum of three years in prison for selling and offering to sell drug paraphernalia. Law enforcement are still seeking Davon Boykin and Cedric Hite.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the ATF, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Anne Arundel County Police Department for its assistance. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew DellaBetta and Michael Goldsticker, who are prosecuting the case.

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