12 Indicted in St. Mary's Co. Drug Ring

FOX 5 News has learned that federal authorities have shut down a major drug ring which flooded Southern Maryland with drugs.

• LINK: READ THE INDICTMENT

Prosecutors say it was a million-dollar underground operation. On Tuesday, 12 men were arrested, including a former D.C. cop.

Prosecutors say one kilo of cocaine is a lot for Southern Maryland. This group is accused of transporting as many as five times that amount.

FOX 5 News has learned that authorities in St. Mary's, Charles, Calvert and Prince George's Counties will join the DEA on Wednesday morning to show how the alleged drug ring impacted several local communities.
 

• FOR AN UPDATE ON THIS STORY, FOLLOW THIS LINK

Inside a federal courthouse in Greenbelt, Maryland, prosecutors started to layout their case. The charges laid out in documents obtained by FOX 5.

All suspects are accused of being part of a major drug ring dating back to November 2006. Prosecutors allege they distributed as much as 5 kilos of cocaine and 50 grams of crack cocaine. The payoff believed to be as much as $1.5 million.

In court Tuesday, prosecutors say they have surveillance tapes, audio conversations and wire taps of the deals.

Prosecutors say they have solid evidence linking the defendants through taped conversations which include hundreds of phone calls, discussion on collecting debts and planned drug deals, as well as conversations about hiding and delivery of drugs.

The list tied to the ring is long. Defendants used aliases such as "Piggus" and "Sqeak" and its alleged ring leader Rodney Estep was known as "Barney Fife."

After serving 20 search warrants, prosecutors turned up cash and property and will now seize their assets including 11 luxury cars, high end motorcycles and $125,000 cash.

In the indictment, one name stands out: Darrell Alphonso Carter, a former D.C. Police officer for more than a decade now accused of also running a gaming ring.

LINK: READ THE INDICTMENT

In court, prosecutors say Carter catered to drug dealers and allegedly ran a high stakes gambling operation, at times as much as $80,000 was laid out on the table.

After three years, the DEA says their undercover operation shut down the drug ring responsible for flooding Southern Maryland with drugs.
The former D.C. cop, Darrell Carter, was charged and released without being held.

From his St. Mary's County home, a crying relative told FOX 5 Carter is innocent and categorized the charges as quote, "lies."

The relative also maintains no property has been seized from their home.

More details will be released at a press conference Wednesday

Charged in the one count indictment are:
Rodney Matthew Estep, a/k/a “Barney Fife,” age 33, of Mechanicsville, Maryland;
Shawne Theodore Whittington, age 29, of Waldorf, Maryland;
Darrell Alphonso Carter, age 42, of Abell, Maryland;
Anthony Levi Taylor, a/k/a “Tony Taylor,” age 41, of Lusby, Maryland;
Anthony Maurice Thomas, a/k/a “Mo Somerville,” age 49, of Waldorf, Maryland;
Glenn Edwin Buckler, Jr., a/k/a “Glenny,” age 34, of Mechanicsville;
Jonathan Latif Chase, a/k/a “Latee Chase,” age 35, of California, Maryland;
Nathaniel Christopher Ford, a/k/a “Chris Ford,” age 39 of Waldorf;
Donald Antonio Townsend, a/k/a “Piggus” and “Squeak,” age 31, of Bushwood, Maryland;
James Walter Ball, Jr., a/k/a “Pooh Ball,” age 34, of Great Mills, Maryland;
Travis Jamar Mills, age 21, of Hollywood, Maryland; and
Christopher Tyrone Brown, age 39, of Capitol Heights, Maryland.

The indictment also seeks forfeiture of $1.5 million, alleged to be the proceeds of the conspiracy. Twenty search warrants were executed on September 10th throughout Southern Maryland, seizing cash, drugs, luxury automobiles, custom motorcycles, jewelry - including several Rolex watches, and real estate.

If convicted, the defendants face a minimum mandatory sentence of ten years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Defendants Estep, Taylore, Chase, Ford, Ball, Mills and Brown are detained pending trial. Whittington, Carter, Thomas and Townsend have been released under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services on 24 hour lockdown with electronic monitoring. Glenn Buckler is scheduled to have his detention hearing later today. No trial date has been set.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.