9237053865?profile=originalBy Gangsters Inc. Editors

Andracos “Draco” Marshall was found guilty by a federal jury on Monday and convicted for a $108 million drug distribution and money laundering conspiracy. The Maryland drug trafficker faces a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of life in prison when he is sentenced on June 6.

During a 13-day trial prosecutors presented evidence that from at least January 2011 through January 2015, 41-year-old Marshall conspired with 37-year-old Anthony Torrell Tatum, 40-year-old Ishmael Ford-Bey, and others to distribute cocaine and heroin in Prince George’s County, including Oxon Hill, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.

Marshall and Ford-Bey received multiple kilogram shipments of cocaine from a source in California. According to witness testimony, on August 15, 2012, the Texas Department of Public Safety stopped a refrigerated box truck that was transporting 13 boxes, each containing approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine. 

The boxes were to be delivered to Ford-Bey in Temple Hills, Maryland. A controlled delivery of the boxes was arranged and on August 17, law enforcement established surveillance at the meeting location in Marlow Heights, Maryland. A few minutes after the truck arrived, a vehicle registered to Ford-Bey at a Mitchellville address arrived at the location. Law enforcement observed the truck driver and Ford-Bey unloading the drugs into Ford-Bey’s vehicle. As Ford-Bey left the area, he was followed by another vehicle being driven by Marshall.

When law enforcement officers pursued Ford-Bey, Marshall drove his vehicle in a manner to thwart law enforcement efforts to stop him. Ford-Bey and Marshall eventually abandoned their vehicles after a high-speed chase on I-495 and ran away. Agents recovered the vehicles, the cocaine, cell phones, and other evidence. Marshall remained a fugitive until he was arrested in January 2015.

In an effort to disguise and hide their drug proceeds, Marshall and his co-conspirators used aliases and false identifications and created numerous business entities, which had little, if any, legitimate business. Evidence showed that the co-conspirators used the aliases and false identifications to rent facilities used to further their drug trafficking activities.

According to information presented at trial, Marshall and his co-conspirators also rented storage facilities and apartments that were used in furtherance of the drug conspiracy. For example, on February 22, 2013, a third party leased an apartment for Marshall in the 3800 block of Tunlaw Road in Washington, D.C.  Investigation revealed that Tatum and Ford-Bey were visitors to the apartment.  On October 1, 2013, a search warrant was executed at the apartment. Agents located a safe which contained $823,640 in cash, several expensive watches, and jewelry. In addition, agents recovered scales, three heat sealers, a coffee grinder, a currency counter, and other drug paraphernalia, as well as approximately 150 grams of cocaine base.

Five defendants, including Marshall, were convicted federally for their participation in the conspiracy. Co-conspirators Anthony Torrell Tatum; Ishmael Ford-Bey; Terrin Tamal Anderson (29); and David Allen Jones (40); previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 27 years in prison, 33 years in prison, 12 years in prison and 45 months in prison, respectively. Judge Chasanow also entered an order requiring Tatum and Ford-Bey to pay a $108 million money judgment, and a forfeiture order for personal property, including luxury vehicles, jewelry and cash.

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