Thirteen People Arrested Today in Drug Conspiracy, Accused of Distributing Cocaine in Washington, D.C. Area
Eleven Firearms, Drugs Seized in Searches

WASHINGTON—Thirteen people were arrested today following their indictments on federal charges in connection with an ongoing investigation by the FBI/Metropolitan Safe Streets Task Force into a network that distributed cocaine in the Washington, D.C. area.

The arrests and charges were announced this afternoon by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., James W. McJunkin, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Those arrested, along with a 14th person taken into custody earlier this month, were among 27 defendants named in an indictment returned on March 8, 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The indictment, partially unsealed today, charges the defendants with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds derived from the crimes, as well as assets used to commit the offenses. If convicted, the defendants face a minimum of 10 years in custody and a maximum of life in prison.

The FBI, MPD, U.S. Park Police, Prince George’s County Police, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Maryland State Police joined in today’s law enforcement action. A total of 11 locations were searched in Maryland and three in the District of Columbia. Authorities seized a shotgun, a rifle, and nine handguns, as well as cocaine and marijuana, cash, and five vehicles.

The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to carry out the drug operation from September 2010 through March of this year, when it was broken up by law enforcement. The network allegedly operated in the District of Columbia as well as in Temple Hills, Maryland.

“Today’s law enforcement activities show our determination to target those selling dangerous drugs in our city,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “This investigation has led to numerous arrests as well as the recovery of 11 firearms and drugs. Thanks to the hard work of the FBI, the Metropolitan Police Department and other law enforcement partners, we have taken another step toward making our community safer.”

“This morning’s arrests dismantled a dangerous network which threatened the safety of our community,” said Assistant Director in Charge McJunkin. “Together with our partners on the Safe Streets Task Force, the FBI will continue to pursue and prosecute violent drug traffickers in order to keep our neighborhoods safe for our citizens.”

“Today’s arrests highlight the teamwork between our federal and local partners as we continue to remove drugs, guns and criminals from our streets—in an effort to make our neighborhoods safer,” said Chief Lanier.

Arrested on the charges were: Keith Donnell Boone, 42, of Clinton, Maryland, and his sister, Kimberly Delores Boone, 45, of Temple Hills, Maryland; Andre Linwood Brown, 56, of Washington, D.C.; Kelvin Kevin Heyward, 57, of Clinton, Maryland, and his sons, Kevin Kelvin Hayward, 39, of Greenbelt, Maryland, and Markel Kevin Heyward, 33, of District Heights, Maryland; Anthony Quinn Jones, 47, of District Heights, Maryland; Bernard William Jones, 34, of Bowie, Maryland; Anthony Darryl Kirby, 27, of Fort Washington, Maryland; Jonathan McCoy Logan, 40, of Clinton, Maryland; Willie Bennett Stokes, II, 26, of District Heights, Maryland; Joe Thomas, 76, of Washington, D.C.; and James Ralph Walker, 31, of District Heights, Maryland. Joe Thomas is the father of defendants Kimberly Delores Boone and Andre Linwood Brown.

A 14th defendant, Darnell Antonio Parker, 41, of Arlington, Virginia, was arrested earlier.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

This prosecution grew out of a long-term FBI/MPD alliance called the Safe Streets Task Force that targets violent drug trafficking gangs in the District of Columbia. The Safe Streets initiative is funded in part by the Baltimore Washington High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area as well as the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. The initiative involves more than 150 Safe Streets Task Forces across the country that combat street gangs by combining federal, state, and local police resources. The task forces, which began in 1992 in Los Angeles and the District of Columbia, address gang activity, including drug-related crimes.

In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director McJunkin, and Chief Lanier thanked those who pursued the investigation from the FBI/MPD Safe Streets Task Force and other agencies. In addition, they expressed appreciation to the Prince George’s County Police Department, the U.S. Park Police, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Maryland State Police for their assistance in the investigation.

They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the investigation from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle A. Zamarin, Thomas A. Gillice, and Suzanne Clement Libby, who are prosecuting the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zia Faruqui, Anthony Saler and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Anand Sithian, of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, which is assisting with the forfeiture action.