Charges Stem from Multi-Agency Investigation Aimed to Address Fentanyl Overdoses Tied to South Baltimore Drug Shop

BALTIMORE, MD (Wednesday, April 9, 2025) - Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced that 11 people have been charged from a long-term investigation in Southern Baltimore City. Charges in the indictments include illegal possession of firearms and distribution of fentanyl. The investigation was led by the Organized Crime Unit of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, the Group Violence Unit of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) as part of Baltimore's Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS).

"I want to thank Attorney General Brown, the Office of Attorney General's Criminal Division, BPD's Group Violence Unit, our team at MONSE, the DEA, the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), and all of our regional law enforcement partners for their work removing this group from our streets," said Mayor Scott. "This takedown is a great example of how GVRS is working to make our communities in South Baltimore safer as we prepare for full expansion to the Southern District. We want Baltimoreans to remain safe, alive, and free. At every available opportunity, we provide pathways for those at the highest risk of being involved in violence to step away from that life, but we absolutely will not tolerate groups that perpetuate harm and threaten the safety of our neighborhoods."

"The drug trade - violently protected by illegal guns - poisons communities by stealing children's futures and threatening people's safety," said Attorney General Brown. "With these charges, our Office and its partners are sending a clear message that those who profit off the disease of addiction and add to the devastation of the fentanyl epidemic will be prosecuted for the harm they have inflicted on their neighbors."

"The deep collaboration involved in this announcement is central to GVRS and reflects a shared commitment to public safety and accountability," said MONSE Director Stefanie Mavronis. "Together, we will continue to do the work necessary to safeguard our communities long-term, while intervening with those at the absolute highest risk of being involved in violence."

"The takedown is a major win for this neighborhood and removing those that traffic deadly drugs and guns into our city" said Police Commissioner Richard Worley. "This level of coordination across law enforcement shows the power of strong partnerships and shared commitment in creating a safer Baltimore for all. Through the hard work of the men and women of the BPD and all of our partners, we are sending a clear message: criminal activity will not be tolerated in our city. We remain committed to reducing violence through the Group Violence Reduction Strategy and making our neighborhoods safer."

"All the resources & people of DEA and the federal government are dedicated to saving and protecting the American Public. It's heartbreaking how many lives have been lost - and we are still losing - due to the violence and irresponsible actions of criminal organizations," said Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian, of the DEA Washington Division. "They do not care about anyone and are clearly attacking the security and wellbeing of our communities, because their only interest is making profit by pushing dangerous and deadly drugs into Maryland's neighborhoods, without any regard of the value of human live. I'm grateful for the hard work of the DEA teams, AG's litigation efforts, the Baltimore's City Police and the Mayor's office, with whom we successfully executed the arrests and seized illegal drugs and guns from these individuals."

In September 2024, the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, the BPD, and the DEA began a joint investigation into the members and associates of a drug-trafficking organization that was identified through GVRS as a violent drug trafficking organization operating in the 4100 block of Morrison Court in the Curtis Bay neighborhood in Baltimore City, Maryland. The preliminary investigation began as a response to high rates of fentanyl overdoses in the vicinity. The investigation soon revealed that the drug trafficking organization was the subject of GVRS and tied to violence in the Western District. The investigation further revealed that the members of the drug trafficking organization sold drugs, including fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, in the area of the 4100 block of Morrison Court and the surrounding areas encompassed by Pennington Avenue, Plum Street, Morrison Court, and Grace Court. In addition to high overdose rates, the area was known to contain multiple notorious open air drug shops which have contributed to Southern District violence, including shootings and assaults, related to drug trafficking activities.

The investigation also revealed that the drug traffickers would distribute fentanyl and cocaine to customers who walked up to the drug shop, as well as customers who drove through the area to purchase drugs, including customers who would come from nearby Anne Arundel County. The drug traffickers would store drugs and firearms in and around abandoned and vacant properties.

Investigators seized and tested the drugs and found that the drugs contained fentanyl, para-fluorofentanyl (a synthetic opioid that is more potent than fentanyl), heroin, 4-anilino-N-phenethylpiperidine (or "4-ANPP," which is a chemical precursor to fentanyl), cocaine, and cocaine base (or "crack" cocaine). During the investigation, investigators conducted controlled purchases of fentanyl and cocaine and seized a total of more than 1500 individually packaged drugs which were destined for distribution on the streets of Baltimore City.

On March 4, 2025, police executed a series of search warrants across Baltimore City and Baltimore County and seized drugs and proceeds related to the drug trafficking organization. In total, the investigation led to the seizure of nine handguns and three "Glock switches," which convert semi-automatic handguns into illegal automatic machine guns.

One defendant, Anthony Cheeks, Jr., 42, of Baltimore, was charged as a higher-ranking member of the organization. Cheeks is alleged to have supplied the other members of the drug trafficking organization with drugs on a regular basis. On the morning of March 4, Cheeks was arrested in the area of the drug shop in Curtis Bay and was found to be in possession of fentanyl and cocaine, which was packaged for resale, as well as two handguns. A search warrant at his apartment led to the seizure of approximately 460 grams of cocaine, a large amount of U.S. currency, and significant drug trafficking paraphernalia.

The remaining individuals charged include:

*Colby Brown, 22, of Baltimore City
Rashad Bryant, 22, of Baltimore City
Terry Cheeks, 20, of Baltimore City
Andrew Clemons, Jr., 20, of Baltimore City
Darico Cummings, 29, of Baltimore City
*Rayquan Ford, 23, of Baltimore City
Dorrell Gross, 49, of Baltimore City
*Kairie Harrison, 23, of Baltimore City
*Markel Hawkins, 23, of Baltimore City
Jaquan McCain, 20, of Baltimore City
Denise Smith, 40, of Baltimore City

Defendants with an asterisk by their name have not yet been apprehended. We are asking those individuals to contact the BPD and arrange to turn themselves in. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of those individuals is asked to contact the BPD or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-756-2587 or visit www.metrocrimestoppers.org/submit-a-tip/. Callers can remain anonymous.

All of the defendants who have been apprehended are currently being held without bail pending their trials in the Baltimore City Circuit Court.

A criminal indictment is merely an accusation of wrongdoing, and a defendant is presumed innocent until the State proves the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation received direct support from the Maryland Criminal Intelligence Network (MCIN). The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy provides grant funding and strategic support to MCIN member sites to identify, disrupt, and dismantle criminal organizations through inter-agency collaboration and data sharing to make Maryland safer.

A copy of the indictment can be found here.