Greenbelt, Maryland – Nathan Antonio Davis, age 37, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty late on January 3, 2017, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine; and conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Co-defendants Raymond Dexter Parker, age 37, of District Heights, Maryland; Adrian A. Vinson, a/k/a Buck Man, age 37, and Wayne Ellis Hampton, Jr., age 40, both of Laurel, Maryland; and Tavon Lee Crews, age 19, of District Heights, previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy.
The guilty pleas 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; and Chief Henry P. Stawinski of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to their plea agreements, from at least November 2015 through May 3, 2016, Davis, Parker, Vinson, Hampton, and Crews conspired to rob certain drug dealers operating in Maryland, to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, and to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. On April 13, 2016, at a location in Maryland, Davis and Parker met with an undercover agent (UC) working for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to discuss the upcoming armed robbery of a drug stash house.
During a follow-up meeting on April 21, 2016, Davis, Parker, Vinson and Crews met with the UC to discuss how they would execute the robbery and obtain the cocaine. Davis stated that he and Parker committed robberies like this, as did Vinson. Vinson stated that he would use a badge to pose as a police officer to facilitate the robbery.
On May 3, 2016, the day of planned robbery, the UC met with Davis and his co-conspirators. On the way to the meeting location Crews was a passenger in Parker’s vehicle and picked up a gun which was on the floor of the vehicle. Crews then put the gun back on the floor underneath the front passenger seat. After arriving at the final meeting place, Davis, Parker, Vinson, Hampton, and Crews, discussed, in detail, plans for the upcoming robbery with the UC. Davis informed the robbery crew that he was in possession of a 60,000-volt taser, revolver, gloves, and duct tape; and asked whether the robbery crew should leave the armed guards alive in the stash house. As part of the plan, Crews was to remain in the car as a lookout for the robbery crew. During the conversation, the UC observed Parker with a firearm and saw Parker wiping off the firearm with his shirt. The UC told Parker to put the firearm back in the vehicle because it was not yet needed. Hampton instructed his co-conspirators to remove the license plates from a rental vehicle that they planned to use for the robbery and replace them with license plates from an unaffiliated vehicle parked in the parking lot to evade detection by law enforcement during and after the armed robbery of the stash house. At some point during the conversation, Parker began to remove the license plates.
Law enforcement arrested Davis, Parker, Vinson, Hampton, and Crews. Law enforcement recovered nylon stockings, blue nitrile gloves, disinfecting wipes, duct tape, a stun gun box, paracord, screwdrivers, and a pocket knife from the vehicle that Davis had driven that day. Law enforcement also recovered a stun gun from the scene and the following loaded firearms from the vehicle driven by Parker: two .38 special caliber revolvers; and a Ruger 9 millimeter caliber semi-automatic handgun. During the investigation, law enforcement determined that the Ruger handgun was stolen.
Davis was detained after his arrest. During his detention, Davis wrote a letter to an individual in Waldorf, Maryland, and instructed that person to retrieve a firearm from a residence in Suitland, where Davis had been staying prior to his arrest, and take it back to the individual’s home for safe keeping. At Davis’ direction, the same individual had previously recovered narcotics, drug paraphernalia and cash, while Davis was detained.
While he was detained, Davis also wrote to an individual at a residence in Washington, D.C., where Davis had also stayed prior to his arrest. Davis instructed that individual to get cocaine from a package in a dresser in the residence and sell the cocaine. Davis further stated that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the cocaine were to be sent to Davis in jail, and the rest was to be used to fund the marijuana grow operation in the Washington, D.C. residence. Davis also discussed the marijuana grow operation with this individual on recorded jail calls.
After intercepting Davis’ letters, law enforcement executed search warrants at the residences in Waldorf, Suitland, and Washington, D.C. on June 9 and 10, 2016. From the residence in Waldorf, law enforcement recovered, among other items, drug paraphernalia (including items needed to maintain a marijuana grow operation), and $2,480 in cash. From the residence in Suitland, law enforcement recovered: 28 grams or more of crack cocaine; powder cocaine; marijuana; four firearms, including a firearm located in the exact location that Davis had described in his jail letter; 38 rounds of ammunition; and $900 in cash. From the residence in Washington, D.C., law enforcement recovered: cocaine; marijuana and a marijuana plant; a firearm; and 28 rounds of ammunition. Davis had previous felony convictions which made it illegal for him to possess a firearm and ammunition.
Davis, Vinson, Parker and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts their plea agreements Davis and Vinson will each be sentenced to between 12 and 15 years in prison, and Parker will be sentenced to 10 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus has scheduled sentencing for Davis on May 10, 2017; for Parker on May 1, 2017; and for Vinson on May 11, 2017.
Crews is scheduled to be sentenced on March 23, 2017, and Hampton on March 24, 2017, both at 8:30 a.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the ATF and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer R. Sykes and Menaka Kalaskar, who prosecuted the case.