Man Sentenced To Life For Brutal West Baltimore Killing

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A man with ties to a violent gang was sentenced to life in federal prison on charges that he participated in a crime that killed someone in 2016, according to state officials.

U.S. District Judge Catherine Blake sentenced 28-year-old Sydni Frazier of Baltimore to live in federal prison on Tuesday.

A federal jury convicted Frazier on federal murder, gun, and drug charges in March 2020.

Evidence presented at Frazier's six-day trial showed that between at least 2014 and 2017, Frazier conspired with other people, including members and associates of the Murdaland Mafia Piru (MMP) gang, to distribute narcotics, state officials said. 

The gang controlled the drug trade in large swaths of Northwest Baltimore and Baltimore County. It had a lucrative drug shop that was close to Interstate 70, according to state officials

Additionally, the evidence showed that on August 10, 2016, Frazier and others kidnapped, robbed and murdered Ricardo Johnson in order to enrich themselves and their drug trafficking business, state officials said.

Johnson had been headed home to his apartment in the 1100 block of West Lanvale Street when he was kidnapped.

Less than four hours later, someone found Johnson in the back of a stolen minivan that had been parked next to the light rail tracks in Baltimore's Westport neighborhood.

He had been bound by the wrists and ankles, blindfolded, and shot over 20 times, according to state officials.

Investigators found partially burned flammable material sticking out of the gas tank of the van, indicating that Johnson's killers had attempted to set the van on fire before fleeing.

Less than twelve hours later, officers attempted to stop Frazier for riding an illegal dirt bike in the 2100 block of Tucker Lane.  

Frazier was able to get away from the officers. During his escape, he abandoned the dirt bike as well as a backpack and gloves he had been wearing, state officials said.  

The backpack contained two cell phones belonging to Frazier and two loaded 9-millimeter handguns. 

Investigators later determined that both guns were a ballistic match to the 9-millimeter casings recovered from the murder scene. 

Additionally, a laboratory determined that Frazier's DNA profile matched DNA from the inside of the gloves and Johnson's DNA profile matched the DNA on the outside of the gloves, according to state officials.

Frazier was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition at that time due to previous felony convictions.

Frazier is one of 26 people charged, convicted, and sentenced following the death of Johnson.

MMP gang leader Dante Bailey was sentenced to life in prison while other people received between 14–30 years in federal prison, state officials said.