Former Member of Baltimore’s Safe Streets Program Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution Conspiracy | USAO-MD

Baltimore, Maryland – Ronald Alexander, 50 years old from Baltimore, today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, powder and crack cocaine. While participating in the drug conspiracy, Alexander was employed by Safe Streets, an organization whose goal is to intervene to reduce violence and crime in Baltimore. While dealing with the distribution of fentanyl and other dangerous narcotics, Alexander used his affiliation with Safe Streets to evade Baltimore law enforcement, including avoiding arrest when police confiscated a large amount of fentanyl from him.

The guilty admission was announced by acting Maryland District Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner; Deputy Special Envoy Orville O. Greene, Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore County Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

According to Alexander’s declaration of consent, law enforcement agencies received court permission to wiretap communications with and from cell phones used by Alexander from May to July 23, 2020. Alexander’s conversations revealed that he ran a “drug store” near Spaulding Avenue and Palmer Avenue in northwest Baltimore. Alexander and co-defendant Thomas Corey Crosby corresponded every one to two weeks on the sale of narcotics, including heroin and fentanyl. After these often very short conversations, the two met. Most of the meetings took place at a gas station at the intersection of Druid Park Avenue and Liberty Heights in Baltimore, where Crosby Alexander was delivering drugs. Investigators monitored many of these meetings and received surveillance videos from the gas station.

“Ronald Alexander was an armed drug dealer who sold fentanyl and other dangerous drugs here in Baltimore,” said acting US attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “He has also shamefully used his position at Safe Streets to avoid prosecution and arrest if caught with fentanyl. Community outreach programs play an important role in deterring young people from a life of crime. Alexander had the opportunity to strengthen his community, but instead chose to poison them with deadly narcotics that he sold just to help himself. “

As described in his plea agreement, a Baltimore police officer conducted a traffic check on Alexander on August 5, 2020 after Alexander rolled through a stop sign. During the encounter, Alexander used his affiliation with Safe Streets and the Baltimore City Mayor’s office to deter further police investigations. Alexander then called an employee and said: “Yes. The police jumped in on me. Told me to stop You know they’re scared, you’re scared of the mayor’s office, I said man, I work safe streets from the mayor’s office. I just came from one of my participating houses, in need of this one, it needed food due to the pandemic. He says oh, ok ok. “

On August 9, 2020, Alexander received a call from Crosby arranging a meeting at the gas station. At the gas station, Crosby was seen getting into Alexander’s vehicle and the two had a quick chat. Crosby then placed an object in the center console area of ​​Alexander’s vehicle and then got out. Alexander drove away from the gas station and investigators conducted a traffic check and searched Alexander’s vehicle, finding what was later found to be 100 grams of fentanyl from a pocket in the center console. Alexander re-notified law enforcement that he worked for Safe Streets and delivered a letter to law enforcement from the Baltimore City Mayor’s office. When asked about the pocket in the center console, Alexander said that as part of his work with the Safe Streets program, he took the drugs on a member of the community to prevent crime. According to court documents, law enforcement officers confiscated the drugs but allowed Alexander without being arrested. After the traffic control, Alexander Crosby called and they met again at the same gas station. After the meeting, Crosby disposed of his cell phone, which investigators had been given permission to tap and track.

Search warrants were executed on August 14, 2020 in locations related to the investigation, including Alexander’s residence on the 1200 block on North Augusta Avenue and a second residence where Alexander sometimes lived in the North Culver Street block of flats, both in Baltimore. Alexander was in his residence. There, law enforcement officers confiscated a semi-automatic 9 mm pistol and six ammunition cartridges, a digital scale and packaging material for medicines, suspected cutting materials and clothing from Safe Streets. In the residence on North Culver Street, investigators found 80 grams of a heroin-fentanyl mixture, more than 100 grams of caffeine powder and a digital scale.

Alexander was banned from possession of a firearm and ammunition as a result of a 2001 conviction by the US District Court for the Maryland District of conspiracy to distribute and possess heroin. In this case, Alexander was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and released from the Bureau of Prisons around May 2018.

Thomas Corey Crosby, 51, of Woodlawn, Maryland, previously pleaded and was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, particularly 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Judge Russell also ordered Crosby to withhold $ 134,499 in cash that was seized during a search of his home on August 14, 2020.

Alexander and the government have agreed that if the court approves the plea, Alexander will be sentenced to 11-13 years federal prison. US District Judge George L. Russell III has set the sentencing for September 17, 2021 at 11 a.m.

This case is part of an investigation by the Anti-Drug Task Force Organized Crime (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations threatening the United States with a prosecutor-led, intelligence, inter-agency approach that leverages the strengths of state, state, and local law enforcement against criminal networks.

Acting US attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the DEA and the BPD for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked U.S. Assistant Attorney Matthew DellaBetta and Daniel A. Loveland, Jr., who are pursuing the case.

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