BALTIMORE — Nine people, including three correctional officers, were indicted on racketeering charges for smuggling drugs into the Chesapeake Detention Facility.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging nine defendants with a racketeering conspiracy at the Chesapeake Detention Facility (CDF) in Baltimore.
The indictment charges three correctional officers (COs), four detainees, and two outside “facilitators” for their roles in the conspiracy, which allegedly involved paying bribes to correctional officers to smuggle contraband, including narcotics, tobacco, and cell phones, into the prison.
The indictments alleges that from at least 2016 through the date of the indictment, the COs smuggled contraband into CDF, including narcotics, cell phones, and tobacco.
The indictment also says that the narcotics smuggled into CDF included marijuana and synthetic cannabinoids and buprenorphine, commonly referred to as “Suboxone.”
Detainees allegedly acted as both wholesalers and retailers of contraband and in the process made profits that far exceeded the profits that could be made by selling similar drugs on the street.
According to the indictment, although COs and other CDF employees were required to pass through security screening at the entrance to CDF, COs were able to hide contraband on their persons, in their clothing, and in bags or containers of food.
COs also took breaks during their shifts and returned to their cars to get contraband.
In other cases, the COs avoided passing through the metal detector in the main lobby at CDF, enabling them to enter the facility and leave contraband in the lockers or in the Officer’s Dining Room, among other locations.
Once the COs had the smuggled contraband inside the facility, they delivered it to: detainees in their cells; in private offices where detainees and staff interacted; in the hallways of detainee housing pods; and pre-arranged “stash” locations like janitorial carts or the laundry or property rooms within the jail.
Detainees who were assigned jobs that enable them to move throughout the jail, also known as “working men,” took orders from fellow detainees, provided such orders to corrupt COs, and delivered contraband to other detainees on behalf of corrupt COs.
According to the indictments, the detainees and facilitators paid the COs for smuggled contraband using cash and electronic payment platforms, including Cash App.
Some COs also engaged in sexual relations with detainees in exchange for smuggling contraband into CDF.
The defendant detainees received payments from other detainees for contraband transactions via Cash App and other methods, often with the help of facilitators.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the racketeering conspiracy.
CDF Indictment Defendants
Correctional Officers:
Darren Parker, age 45, of Baltimore
Andre Davis, a/k/a 2Chainz, age 35, of Baltimore
Talaia Youngblood, age 35, of Randallstown, Maryland
Detainees:
James Hair, a/k/a Mook, age 29
Donte Thomas, a/k/a Cruddy, age 33
Bernard Bey, a/k/a Tony Bey, age 50
Andre Webb, a/k/a Arnie, age 33
Facilitators:
Lynette Carlest, age 48, of Baltimore
Jasmine Coleman, age 28, of Baltimore
