Department of Justice

Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III today sentenced Terrell Plummer, a/k/a Rell, age 30, of Baltimore, to 25 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for a federal racketeering conspiracy related to his membership in the violent Old York Money Gang (OYMG).  The gang operated throughout the Waverly neighborhood of Baltimore and sustained itself largely through the distribution and sale of controlled substances, including crack cocaine, as well as through murder and other violent crimes.  On August 1, 2014, three-year-old McKenzie Elliott was shot to death as she stood on her front porch, when she was struck by an errant bullet during an OYMG dispute.  Plummer fired the shot that killed McKenzie Elliott.  

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.  

U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “Terrell Plummer and his fellow gang members turned their Waverly neighborhood into a war zone, with innocent bystanders like little McKenzie Elliott caught in the crossfire.  Now Plummer will spend 25 years in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever.  Put down the guns and save a life—maybe even your own.”  U.S. Attorney Hur added, “I am grateful for the tireless efforts of the investigators and prosecutors to bring McKenzie Elliott’s killer to justice.  While this sentence will not bring a beautiful little girl back to those who loved her, I hope her community will take some comfort from the fact that Terrell Plummer and his fellow gang members have been held accountable for their crimes.”   

“Terrell Plummer will serve 25 years for the havoc he wrecked on the Waverly neighborhood, and for being responsible for taking the life of McKenzie Elliott,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada. “Too many innocent citizens in Baltimore live the terrible reality that they could be caught in the crossfire of a gang turf war.  ATF is relentless in our commitment to identify, investigate, and incarcerate this city’s most vicious criminals so that neighborhoods can be free of violence and children can safely stand on the front porches of their homes. We can only hope that today’s sentence brings some closure and peace to the family and community who loved McKenzie so much.”  

According to his plea agreement and other court documents, from 2013 to April 2017, Plummer was a member of the OYMG, a violent drug trafficking organization operating in the Waverly neighborhood in the northern district of Baltimore.  OYMG is involved in criminal activity including murder, robbery, extortion, burglary, and narcotics trafficking in and around Baltimore.  OYMG is a neighborhood gang, limiting its membership to persons that originate from or live in the Waverly neighborhood, and generally excluding “outsiders.”  The gang extensively and frequently endorsed and promoted its existence through social media accounts and rap music videos, whereby members would display their association and advertise membership and activities of the gang.   

According to court documents, beginning in October 2016, the ATF and the Baltimore City Police Department conducted undercover purchases of crack cocaine and heroin from OYMG members, who generally sold controlled substances at or around drug shops controlled and managed by the OYMG—and in coordination with co-conspirators.  According to their plea agreements and other court documents, Plummer and other OYMG members sold heroin, powder and crack cocaine, and marijuana in their territory in Waverly and elsewhere.  OYMG members regularly carried firearms to defend the gang’s territory and violently expelled OYMG rivals or antagonists.  

As detailed in his plea agreement and court documents, in the summer of 2014, Plummer and other OYMG members became embroiled in a dispute with men from another neighborhood.  On July 30, 2014, these men entered OYMG territory to support a female friend engaged in a fight with the sister of an OYMG member.  Plummer and other OYMG members assaulted the men, one of whom was stabbed during the fracas (Victim #1).  Two days later, the men returned to the area, driven by a female in a white 1999 Mercedes SUV, to confront Plummer and OYMG members in retaliation for the assault on July 30.  OYMG members noticed the vehicle from the earlier fight and alerted one another to the presence of the vehicle.  As the vehicle circled the block for the third time, Plummer fired multiple shots at the SUV, striking one of the men (Victim #1) in the forehead.  Some of the errant bullets fired by Plummer missed their intended target and struck two additional victims.  Victim #5 was grazed in the chin and wrist.  One of the bullets fired by Plummer struck three-year-old McKenzie Elliott in the head, resulting in her death.  

All 11 defendants charged in this case were convicted and sentenced to between 40 months and life in federal prison.  Plummer is the final defendant to be sentenced. 

This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN).  NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms.  NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles.  For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.

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 ATF, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. Hanlon and Michael A. Goldsticker, who prosecuted the case.    

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