FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
May 29, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SECOND “SMACKDOWN” DRUG DEALER EXILED TO OVER 17 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON
Organization Distributed 30 Kilograms or More of a Brand of Heroin named “Smackdown”
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr. sentenced Jerome Gilbert, age 27, of Baltimore, today to 210 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 30 kilograms or more of heroin, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
According to his February 26, 2008 guilty plea, from 2005 until June 2007, Gilbert and his co-conspirators distributed a brand of heroin named “Smackdown” around a five to eight block area of West Baltimore bounded by Baltimore Street to the north, Pratt Street to the south, Gilmore Street to the west, and Arlington Street to the east and set up shops on any given day within that area, including locations in the vicinity of the Hollins Market.
During the conspiracy, Gilbert was a street lieutenant, responsible for the operation of the daily street distribution of heroin. On June 22, 2007, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at 5501 Todd Avenue in Baltimore City, the main stash location for the organization, and recovered over three kilograms of heroin, packaging material and cutting agent. During the course of the conspiracy, Gilbert and other members of the conspiracy conspired to distribute 30 kilograms or more of heroin.
On May 9, 2008, co-conspirator Lennell Matthews, age 25, of Baltimore was sentenced to 14 years in prison on the same charge.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked Baltimore City State’s Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy and Assistant State’s Attorneys Christine Siemek and Christopher Mason, the Baltimore City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Wallner, who is prosecuting the case.