ST. LOUIS – Fifteen people were arrested on Wednesday in connection to a fentanyl-trafficking ring centered at Clinton-Peabody housing complex in St. Louis.
Many of the defendants lived outside the area, but used the housing complex to distribute drugs, according to court documents.
The federal indictment unsealed alleges a conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl centered in the Clinton-Peabody public housing complex.
The indictment also ties three deaths to the conspiracy.
The indictment alleges Demetrius Johnson and Armond Calvin and Christopher Rhodes, Jr. murdered victim David Bryant in furtherance of their drug trafficking conspiracy on December 3, 2016.
In addition to the conspiracy, the indictment alleges Demetrius Johnson distributed a lethal dose of fentanyl to victim J.W. which dose resulted in J.W.’s death on October 14, 2016.
The conspiracy alleges another lethal dose of fentanyl was distributed to victim C.P. by Defendants Christopher Pipes and Gregory Ivy on May 3.
Johnson, Calvin and Rhodes Jr. face a 20-year mandatory minimum term of imprisonment and a maximum term of life.
Search warrants led to the seizure of numerous firearms and federal firearm charges will be brought against three additional subjects.
“I believe that the drug distribution organization operating at Clinton-Peabody has been dismantled this morning,” said United States Attorney Jeff Jensen. “The fentanyl dealt by this organization is literally poison.
The indictment details the roles of the various members of the conspiracy, describing sources, means of communication, operators of stash houses, financial operatives and street level dealers.
Lebaron Jackson is alleged to have possessed a Taurus 9-millimeter handgun on May 11, having previously sustained a felony conviction.
Marquise Brown is alleged to have used a Glock 9-millimeter handgun in furtherance of the fentanyl conspiracy on May 24. Brown faces a five-year mandatory minimum term of imprisonment and a maximum term of life, consecutive to his term of imprisonment for the conspiracy, and a maximum term of life.
Throughout the conspiracy, which began in March 2016, Defendant Ashley Dickerson is alleged to have engaged in financial transactions with the proceeds of the conspiracy with the intent to conceal the nature, location, source and ownership of the proceeds.
In addition to the criminal counts, the indictment seeks the forfeiture of all proceeds of the conspiracy and any firearms or ammunition used in it or in the specified violent crimes and firearms offenses.
All defendants named in the conspiracy face a 10-year mandatory minimum term of imprisonment and a maximum term of life.
There will be a town hall meeting on July 30 at 10 a.m. at the Peabody Elementary School to address the enforcement action and help residents of the neighborhood address social and community needs in the Clinton-Peabody development.
