Marvin Windell Gray, a/k/a Marv, age 45, of Waldorf, Maryland. Booking photo, date unknown.GREENBELT, Md. (Nov. 12, 2020)—U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel today sentenced Marvin Windell Gray, a/k/a Marv, age 45, of Waldorf, Maryland to 66 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, on the federal charges of: conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl; distribution of fentanyl; and being a felon in possession of a firearm, in connection with a drug distribution organization operating in Prince George's and Charles Counties in Maryland, that sold fentanyl, heroin, and powder and crack cocaine.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jesse R. Fong of the Drug Enforcement Administration—Washington Field Division; St. Mary's County Sheriff Tim Cameron; Charles County Sheriff Troy Berry; and Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George's County Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, "Drug traffickers are on notice that dealing in fentanyl increases their odds of federal prosecution. We're also targeting drug dealers who use guns and increase the risk of gun violence in Maryland. Working together with our local, state, and federal partners, we are determined to reduce the number of opioid overdose deaths in Maryland."
According to his plea agreement, between August 2018 and August 2019, Gray conspired with Anthony Kenneth Dotson, Jr., James Harvey, Marcellus Woodland, and Tiara Mackall to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine in Maryland and elsewhere. Gray and Dotson were drug distributors who operated in Charles County, Maryland, and sold drugs to users and street-level drug dealers. Harvey, Woodland, and Mackall were "runners," subordinate drug distributors who sold drugs on behalf of Gray and Dotson.
The plea agreement details numerous drug transactions between Gray, Dotson, and their suppliers, runners, and customers, using coded language, including controlled purchases of drugs made at the direction of law enforcement. For example, between January and May 2019, several individuals made controlled purchases of fentanyl and heroin from Gray and Dotson, at the direction of law enforcement. As detailed in the plea agreement, on July 9, 2019, Gray and Dotson discussed strategies for selling drugs over the phone. During that conversation, Gray told Dotson, "I'm a bag up most of them all in balls. I got like, I got like 70 of good," meaning that he had 70 grams of high-quality controlled substances and intended to package the drugs into eight balls, or 3.5-gram quantities. Five days later, Gray told Dotson over the phone that he received an order for "14 grams . . . of down," meaning 14 grams of fentanyl. The next month, on August 4, 2019, Dotson texted Gray a photograph depicting 13.99 grams of fentanyl on a digital scale, then asked Gray to delete the text message.
On August 15, 2019, law enforcement executed search warrants at nine different locations, including Gray's residence. From Gray's residence, law enforcement seized: a .40-caliber pistol; a .45-caliber pistol; a .380-caliber pistol; a 9mm-caliber pistol; 35 rounds of various caliber ammunition; $1,800 in cash, which was the proceeds from Gray's drug distribution; and several small bags of crack cocaine. A search of Gray's truck recovered three 9mm magazines and 29 rounds of 9mm ammunition, one .45 magazine and nine rounds of .45-caliber ammunition, 92 rounds of .357-caliber ammunition, and six rounds of .380-caliber ammunition. Gray knew that he had a previous felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Gray admitted that he possessed the firearms and ammunition to facilitate his distribution of fentanyl and other controlled substances, and that he purchased his truck with drug proceeds and used the truck to commit or facilitate his drug distribution. As agreed upon in his plea, Gray will forfeit the firearms, ammunition, and his 2007 Ford F-150 truck, as well as the $1,800 in cash.
Anthony Kenneth Dotson, Jr., a/k/a Streetz, Ghost, and Rico, age 34, of Clinton, Maryland; James Anthony Harvey, Jr., a/k/a Fat Bread, and Patches, age 48, of King George, Virginia; Marcellus Jerome Woodland, a/k/a Cellus, age 30, of Waldorf; and Tiara Mackall, a/k/a Tee, age 27, of Waldorf have all pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug distribution organization. Judge Hazel has scheduled sentencing for Dotson on December 15, 2020. Harvey was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison and Woodland and Mackall were sentenced to time served.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA, the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office, the Prince George's County Police Department, and the Charles County Sheriff's Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Bernstein and Erin Pulice, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.