TonioTimeDaily

“A U.S. District Court jury yesterday convicted three men of operating a criminal enterprise that used murder and intimidation to control drug sales in a Northeast Washington neighborhood. Two other defendants, who prosecutors said also were members of the R Street Crew, were convicted of drug conspiracy and other charges. The case, which took five months to try, has been watched by federal prosecutors and defense lawyers across the country because it was one of a few attempts, and the first in the District, to use sophisticated anti-racketeering laws against a suspected street drug gang. Although the jurors acquitted all defendants of racketeering, defense lawyers said the prosecutors' strategy of using the law made it easier to include other crimes, such as murder, in the case and thus made their defense problems far more complex. As a practical matter, the racketeering acquittals had little effect because the jury voted to convict on the more serious offense of operating a continuing criminal enterprise. "Today's verdict is a tremendous victory for the people of the District of Columbia," said U.S. Attorney Jay B. Stephens. "It demonstrates our unrelenting commitment to use the full arsenal of laws available to us to bring to justice drug kingpins who are responsible for much of the human devastation affecting this community." From the start of the trial, prosecutors portrayed the R Street defendants as high-rolling drug dealers who built an organization complete with enforcers, drug processors, distributors, lieutenants and street runners. The organization operated between 1983 and 1991, conducting much of its business near the corner of Lincoln Road and R Street NE. Various witnesses described lavish spending sprees on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Calif., high-speed chases in Mercedes-Benz sedans, three killings and an unsuccessful drive-by shooting attack on convicted drug kingpin Rayful Edmond III.” --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/antonio-myers4/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/antonio-myers4/support