Fourteen people were charged Wednesday in a 21-count federal indictment accusing them of conspiring to distribute crack and powder cocaine in a trafficking operation that operated near an elementary school in Southeast Washington, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Prosecutors say the group engaged in open-air drug sales in the 4th Street SE and Chesapeake Street SE corridor, including in the presence of children from the elementary school.
Law enforcement officers from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Metropolitan Police Department executed residential search warrants on Wednesday morning at 15 locations across the District and Maryland. All 14 indicted defendants were arrested during the operation.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced the charges and underscored the alleged dealings’ proximity to the school.
“Today, my office took over a dozen drug traffickers off residential streets. These traffickers showed zero regard for the wellbeing of our community, even selling crack cocaine about 300 feet from an elementary school,” Pirro said.
“This office will continue to pursue serious sentences for defendants who treat their neighbors as exploitable prey, and dismantle any group putting the lives in our community at risk.”
Authorities recovered 28 firearms, 2.4 kilograms of crack cocaine, one kilogram of powder cocaine, 29 grams of fentanyl, and 12 pounds of marijuana from locations connected to the defendants and their associates. One defendant, Kivarrie Greene, faces an additional charge of unlawful possession of firearms.
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office said the operation targeted what he described as a violent group that operated across Southeast D.C. and Prince George’s County.
Cox said, “This takedown reflects focused investigative work through our Safe Streets and Homeland Security task forces, and we’ll continue to use every tool we have to hold violent offenders accountable and keep D.C. safe and beautiful.”
Interim Chief Jeffery W. Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department noted the interagency collaboration that led to the arrests.
Carroll said, “Through our strong collaboration with the FBI, the DEA, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and other law enforcement partners, we are ensuring that those who endanger our neighborhoods are held accountable.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Christopher Goumenis of the Washington Division said those apprehended are known for their involvement with illegal drugs, firearms, and violent activities.
