FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
May 30, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THIRD “SMACKDOWN” DRUG DEALER EXILED TO
14 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 Donita Moore, age 29, of Baltimore, today to 14 years 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 her March 4, 2008 guilty plea, from 2005 until June 2007, Moore, Jerome Gilbert, Lenell Matthews and others 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. The drug organization set up shops on any given day within that area, including locations in the vicinity of the Hollins Market.
During the conspiracy, Moore supplied the street shop with gelatin capsules of heroin for street distribution. Other co-conspirators provided her with heroin which she took to a stash location closer to the distribution area. On June 22, 2007, law enforcement officers searched the premises 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, Moore and others conspired to distribute 30 kilograms or more of heroin.
On May 29, 2008, co-conspirator Jerome Gilbert, age 27, of Baltimore, was sentenced to 17 ½ years in prison, and 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.