Violent Baltimore Gang Members Plead Guilty To Charges Related To 3-Year-Old's Death
BALTIMORE, Md. (WJZ) — Five men pleaded guilty during the month of October to drug or racketeering charges related to a turf battle that saw the shooting death of a 3-year-old girl.
According to prosecutors, the men, all Baltimore residents, are part of the "Old York Money Gang," which sold drugs, including crack cocaine and committed numerous violent crimes throughout the Waverly Way neighborhood in Northeast Baltimore.
The gang is currently under a federal indictment involving various murders, including the 2014 murder of 3-year-old McKenzie Elliott who was shot to death.
RELATED: McKenzie Elliott's Murder Sheds Light On Local Gang's Stronghold
The five gang members and when they entered their guilty pleas are:
- Emmanuel Rose, 27, pleaded guilty on October 1.
- Davonte "Chopper" Rich, 24, pleaded guilty on October 2.
- Keith Wilson, 25, pleaded guilty on October 3.
- Jason Snowden, 22, pleaded guilty on October 10.
- Calvin "Monster" Watson, 27, pleaded guilty on October 12.
Rich and Snowden pleaded guilty to participating in a racketeering conspiracy as members of the OYMG.
Watson, Rose, and Wilson each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute between 280 and 840 grams of crack cocaine.
Plea agreements and other court documents show that from January 2014 to April 2017, the five men were all members of the OYMG, which is currently involved murder, robbery, extortion, burglary, narcotics trafficking, and other criminal activities.
Membership to the OYMG is limited to people from the Waverly Way neighborhood. The gang promoted itself through social media and music videos where members would advertise membership and activities of the gang.
Undercover purchases made by the ATF and Baltimore City Police department revealed that OYMG members sold cocaine base, marijuana, and heroin in their territory. The drugs were generally sold around drug shops controlled and managed by the OYMG.
According to Rich's plea agreement, he and other OYMG members attacked three victims who entered OYMG territory in support of a friend who had gotten into a fight with the sister of an OYMG member.
During one of the attacks, one of the victims was stabbed. Two days later, the victims returned to a OYMG drug shop when an OYMG member shot at the vehicle the victims were in.
One bullet hit one of the victims in the head and another was the bullet that struck and killed McKenzie Elliot.
"The pain and violence this gang has inflicted on Baltimore cannot be overstated," said ATF Baltimore Special Agent in Charge, Rob Cekada. "They pushed drugs into neighborhoods knowing that addiction ruins lives, and they used firearms to intimidate and inflict violence to protect and expand their territory, showing no concerns for innocent bystanders like McKenzie Elliott."
Calvin Watson is scheduled for sentencing on December 19, 2018. He faces 90 months in prison if his plea is accepted.
The four remaining men are scheduled to go on trial November 5.
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