The sentences were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Daniel L. Board, Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Karl C. Colder of the Drug Enforcement Administration—Washington Field Division; Chief Hank Stawinski of the Prince George's County Police Department; Chief Stanley Johnson, of the Maryland National Capital Park Police, Prince George's County Division; Charles County Sheriff Troy Berry; St. Mary's County Sheriff Tim Cameron; and Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans.
According to their plea agreements and other court documents, from August 2011 through June 2015, Gray conspired with others, including Lumumba, to distribute crack cocaine. During the course of the conspiracy, Gray obtained powder cocaine from a number of sources, including through an intermediary whom Gray and Lumumba knew as "Jazz" or "Jazzy." Gray generally purchased one or two ounce quantities of cocaine several times a month. Gray used the powder cocaine to manufacture crack in the kitchen of the mobile home the he owned, using cutting agents to increase the volume of crack for sale. Over the course of the conspiracy several co-conspirators, including Lumumba, lived in the mobile home with Gray. Gray, Lumumba and the other co-conspirators who lived at the mobile home distributed powder and crack cocaine from that location to a variety of customers. When Gray was not at the mobile home Lumumba regularly sold crack for Gray and received a portion of the profits for his assistance. On occasion Lumumba also transported money and picked up drugs for Gray related to their drug trafficking.
Gray admitted that he also possessed firearms and ammunition during the conspiracy, although he was prohibited from doing so due to several previous felony convictions in Charles County, including convictions for assault and unlawful possession of firearms.
According to Lumumba's plea agreement, on May 22, 2015, after Gray learned that his drug trafficking was the subject of an active investigation, Gray called Lumumba and instructed him to remove incriminating evidence from the trailer and surrounding property, which Lumumba did. The evidence removed included containers in which Gray stored and cooked crack cocaine and several scales used by Gray and Lumumba to weigh their narcotics. After removing the incriminating evidence, Lumumba moved out of the trailer and fled Charles County in an effort to avoid apprehension by law enforcement. In August 2015, Lumumba learned that he and Gray had been indicted and Lumumba continued to make efforts to evade law enforcement. On April 14, 2016, the U.S. Marshals tracked down and arrested Lumumba.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the ATF, DEA, Prince George's County Police Department, Maryland National Capital Park Police, Prince George's County Division, and the Charles, St. Mary's and Calvert County Sheriffs' Offices for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael T. Packard and Leah J. Bressack, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.