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Lawmakers and leaders came together on Monday, May 1, to announce that a trafficking operation based out of two homes in the 300 block of South Franklintown Road has been dismantled following a months-long investigation that was launched in January 2023.
Those charged:
- Dane Kennedy, also known as “Danna Kennedy;”
- Michelle Taylor;
- Jadin Wingate;
- Desean Parker;
- Kenneth Davis, also known as “Kenneth Waddy.’
“Dismantling a drug trafficking organization requires skillful coordination between law enforcement and prosecutors, as well as persistence and dedication over several months,” Bates said.
The investigation - which included both physical and aerial surveillance with assistance from the US National Guard - included multiple controlled purchases that were made from Taylor, Wingate, and Davis by undercover agents.
In March, detectives also recovered a pair of guns from Parker in the same area as the controlled drug purchases, prompting a Baltimore City Circuit Court Grand Jury to indict the five suspects later that month.
The following month, in April, detectives executed a search and seizure warrant on Kennedy’s Mini Cooper while she was driving with Taylor, at which point, investigators recovered several plastic bags, each containing gel capsules of suspected fentanyl mixture.
A second search of Kennedy’s home in the 5900 block of Lillian Avenue in Northeast Baltimore led to the recovery of:
- Approximately 1,158 grams of suspected fentanyl;
- Seven bags each containing 50 gel capsules of suspected fentanyl;
- Two bags with 28 gel capsules of suspected festally;
- One bag with 49 gel capsules of suspected fentanyl;
- Materials used to package drugs for street-level distribution.
“We stand unified and fully committed to the safety and well-being of our residents,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott added. “We are holding those who choose to do illegal activity accountable, and we will continue to go after those who spread harm through our communities.
“Our commitment to making Baltimore safer requires deep collaboration and extensive strategy.”
Kennedy faces 60 years in prison after being charged with:
- Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl;
- Volume dealer fentanyl;
- Possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl;
Taylor faces 60 years in prison after being charged with:
- Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl;
- Distribution of fentanyl;
- Possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl;
Wingate faces 120 years in prison after being charged with:
- Two counts of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl;
- Four counts of distribution of fentanyl;
Parker faces 86 years in prison after being charged with:
- Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl;
- Two counts firearm use during drug trafficking;
- Two counts of wearing, carrying, or transporting a handgun on a person;
- Possession with the intent to distribute cocaine;
Davis - who remains at large - faces 60 years in prison after being charged with:
- Two counts of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl;
- Distortion of fentanyl.
“The hard work displayed by (the Baltimore Police Department) and my Narcotics team, in this case, has resulted in the removal of deadly weapons and drugs from our streets,” Bates continued.
“Baltimore City saw 920 fentanyl-related overdose deaths in 2020. Critical to everything we’re doing is the work to rebuild relationships with our law enforcement partners to foster this kind of collaboration with all levels of law enforcement to save lives.
Officials noted that the drug trafficking operation was located near the 2500 block of Frederick Avenue, about 350 feet from where Frederick Elementary School is located.
“The last thing we ever want to have no choice but to do is send folks to prison. However, these five individuals are not only implicated in group violence but also have made decisions that have inflicted trauma and harm on our neighbors in Southwest Baltimore,” Shantay Jackson, the executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement noted.
“This consequence is a direct result of their decision to engage in activities that perpetuate harm and the community's decision to reject violence as a norm.”
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