Member of Baltimore’s Violent “Murdaland Mafia Piru” Bloods Gang Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Racketeering and Drug Conspiracies

U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake today sentenced Shakeen Davis, a/k/a “Creams,” age 25, of Baltimore, Maryland to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for racketeering and drug conspiracies related to his participation in the gang activities of the Murdaland Mafia Piru (MMP), a subset of the Bloods gang.  Davis was also convicted of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine; two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  The evidence established that Davis attempted to murder two individuals on May 30, 2015, firing multiple rounds at his intended victims with an assault rifle in the middle of a busy intersection in broad daylight.  The jury returned its guilty verdict on April 30, 2019.

“Armed drug traffickers are on notice that federal, state and local law enforcement are working together to target leaders and key members of violent gangs,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “We will not tolerate those who peddle death through drugs and gun violence in our neighborhoods.  Shakeen Davis will now spend 30 years in federal prison.  This sentence sends a strong message that gun crime can lead to federal time, where there is no parole—ever.  Please put down the gun.  You’ll save a life, maybe even your own.”

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.

According to court documents and the evidence presented at the six-week trial, MMP, also known as the “Mob” or “Mobsters,” is a violent subset of the Bloods gang that operates in Maryland and elsewhere.  MMP was modeled after the Italian Mafia and was organized hierarchically, with “the Don” at the top and various “Bosses,” “Underbosses,” “Capos,” “Lieutenants,” and “Mobsters” underneath.  For many years, MMP has controlled the drug trade in large swaths of Northwest Baltimore City and neighboring Baltimore County, including Forest Park, Windsor Mill, Gwynn Oak, Howard Park, Woodlawn, and Walbrook Junction.  The gang’s drug shop in the 5200 block of Windsor Mill Road was particularly lucrative due to its close proximity to Interstate 70, and it frequently attracted drug customers driving from Western Maryland and neighboring states.  MMP’s members enriched themselves through drug trafficking and other criminal activities, and using violence and threats of violence to intimidate or retaliate against witnesses, protect the gang’s territories, enforce debts, and eliminate rivals.

According to trial testimony, one of the founding principles of the gang was a rule against cooperation with law enforcement.  Violations of this rule were punishable by death.  MMP members enhanced their status within the gang by carrying out acts of violence against rivals.  For instance, members could earn a lightning bolt tattoo for “killing for the Mob.”  MMP members, including Davis, used social media websites to assert the gang’s claim to particular drug territories, intimidate rival gangs and drug traffickers, enhance MMP’s status, and enhance members’ status within the gang.  Davis posted photographs and comments to social media websites in which he boasted about his membership in MMP and flaunted firearms.  For example, on March 9, 2016, Davis posted a comment that said, “Go Against the MOBB GET MURDERED.”  The evidence proved that members and associates of MMP participated in the gang’s affairs through a pattern of racketeering activities, including murder, extortion, witness tampering and retaliation, and drug distribution.  According to witness testimony, Davis sold both cocaine and heroin and had guns, including an AR-15.

According to trial evidence, on May 30, 2015, Davis attempted to murder two victims in furtherance of MMP.  Davis fired at least nine rounds at the two individuals with an assault rifle in broad daylight as the victims sat in their car at a busy intersection.  One individual suffered graze wounds to his back, and both victims suffered cuts from broken glass.  A witness testified that the shooting was in retaliation for the victims pulling a gun on another MMP member earlier that day.

On April 26, 2016, Davis was arrested by members of the Baltimore County Police Department.  The officers recovered a loaded, stolen, police-issue handgun, a loaded AR-15 rifle (with a shoulder strap), and several cell phones from the trunk of Davis’s vehicle.  They also recovered a balaclava mask, a small, digital scale, and a bottle of the cutting agent Inositol.  Davis is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition as a result of a previous felony firearm conviction.

One of the cell phones seized from Davis on April 26, 2016 contained hundreds of text messages in which Davis arranged drug transactions with customers. These included text messages in which customers asked for specific quantities of “boy” and “girl”—street terms for heroin and cocaine, respectively, as well as texts in which Davis advertised the potency of the drugs he had for sale—e.g., “Got fire,” or “I got a bomb.”  Importantly, on April 9, 2016, a drug customer who had recently purchased drugs from Davis sent him a text message indicating that he had overdosed and wound up in the hospital.  The customer said: “Made it through detox, ended up in the hospital but I’m better now, I’ll send people your way if they are looking.”  The cell phone also contained text messages in which Davis indicated that he was “beefing with” certain individuals and was “hunting” for them in order to kill them.

On August 5, 2016, Davis received a message from a co-defendant using coded language to ask Davis to get three guns.  On the morning of August 10, 2016, that co-defendant and others abducted, bound, robbed, and murdered Ricardo Johnson, a/k/a “Uncle Rick,” then attempted to set his body on fire.  Johnson was found hog-tied, blindfolded, and with over 20 bullet wounds, in the back of a stolen van in at 6:25 a.m. on August 10.  The government presented evidence at trial that Davis was involved in Johnson’s murder, including witness testimony that was present when the co-defendant discussed kidnapping and robbing “Uncle Rick,” whom they believed had a lot of drugs.  Davis also spoke with the co-defendant by phone at 3:07 a.m. on August 10—roughly half an hour after Johnson had been abducted, and had 12 phone calls with the co-defendant on the day before the murder.

On April 29, 2019, the final day of trial before the case went to the jury for deliberation, Davis was caught trying to smuggle razor blades into the federal courtroom.  A Deputy U.S. Marshal conducted a routine search of Davis’s person before he was brought into the courtroom and recovered two razor blades, approximately 3/4-inch in length, located inside each of Davis’s shoes. 

Twenty-five defendants have been convicted in the case, including Davis, MMP leader Dante Bailey, Randy Banks, Jamal Lockley, and Corloyd Anderson, who were convicted on April 30, 2019 after a six-week trial.  Twenty defendants, including Davis, have been sentenced, with most receiving between 10 and 30 years in federal prison.  Judge Blake has scheduled sentencing for Dante Bailey, a/k/a “Gutta,” “Almighty,” and “Wolf,” age 40, of Windsor Mill, Maryland on November 8, 2019; for Jamal Lockley, a/k/a “T-Roy” and “Droid,” age 40, of Baltimore, on November 4, 2019; and for Corloyd Anderson, a/k/a “Bo,” age 36, of Owings Mills, Maryland on November 26, 2019.  They all face a maximum of life in prison.  The final defendant is awaiting trial.

This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the ATF, the Baltimore City and Baltimore County Police Departments, and the Baltimore City and Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Offices for their work in the investigation and prosecution.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Christina A. Hoffman and Lauren E. Perry, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.