FBI raids target alleged drug ring in Washington, D.C., 7 arrested

Federal agents carried out about 20 search warrants as part of a year-long investigation into a Washington, D.C.-based drug trafficking organization accused of selling PCP and fentanyl, according to prosecutors.

The FBI said Tuesday agents executed warrants at homes in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Los Angeles, seizing 18 firearms, including an AR-style rifle, a shotgun, and a Draco-style pistol, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

Investigators also recovered a pill press used to manufacture fentanyl pills, at least two kilograms of suspected narcotics, and more than $50,000 in cash.

Eight people were indicted last week in the conspiracy, and seven of them were taken into custody Tuesday.

They were identified as Leonard Edwards, 52, of Washington, D.C.; Eric “Marbury” Prather, 43, of Washington, D.C.; Thomas Wilton Hancock Jr., also known as “Fresh,” 43, of Baltimore; Sarda Smith, 36, of Oxen Hill, Maryland; Michael Thomas, 49, of Los Angeles; Reginald Lassiter, 39, of Washington, D.C.; and Darryl Riley, 39, of Washington, D.C. One additional defendant remains at large and is considered a fugitive.

Prosecutors said the Knox Place neighborhood, where the group allegedly operated, has seen at least five homicides in the past year. The D.C.-based traffickers allegedly sourced drugs from a Baltimore co-conspirator who imported narcotics from California.

Earlier this year, authorities intercepted a shipment of 17 gallons of PCP from California near Topeka, Kansas.

Six of the defendants face mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years in prison, while two others face minimum sentences of 15 years based on the drug quantities involved.

In addition, federal agents arrested five other people on related charges, including conspiracy to distribute narcotics, illegal possession of firearms, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and illegal re-entry into the United States.

The investigation is being led by the FBI Washington Field Office with assistance from the DEA and the Metropolitan Police Department.