Baltimore Police Department and State’s Attorney’s Office Dismantle Drug Trafficking Organization in Shipley Hill Neighborhood

Mayor Brandon M. Scott | City of Rockville Official website

By North Baltimore Journal Report

May 6, 2023

This marks the first DTO takedown of State's Attorney Bates' administration and defendants face a total of 386 years in prison if convicted of all charges.

BALTIMORE, MD. - On May 1, the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office Narcotics Unit, the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, and the Baltimore Police Department's Group Violence Unit (GVU) announced the arrests and indictments of five members of an alleged fentanyl Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) that was operating out of the 300 block of S. Franklintown Road. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at trial.

"Dismantling a drug trafficking organization requires skillful coordination between law enforcement and prosecutors, as well as persistence and dedication over several months," said Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan J. Bates. "The hard work displayed by BPD and my Narcotics team, in this case, has resulted in the removal of deadly weapons and drugs from our streets. 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. This work and the success we see does not occur without government and law enforcement partnerships working together towards a common goal."

In January 2023, the Baltimore Police Department GVU began investigating a DTO selling fentanyl in the Shipley Hill neighborhood. Detectives identified five individuals as members of the DTO: Dane Kennedy, aka Danna Kennedy; Michelle Taylor, Jadin Wingate; Kenneth Davis, aka Kenneth Waddy; and Desean Parker. Detectives determined that the DTO sold fentanyl from within two residences in the 300 block of S. Franklintown Road.

"We stand unified and fully committed to the safety and well-being of our residents. 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," said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. "Our commitment to making Baltimore safer requires deep collaboration and extensive strategy, and I am thankful for partners at the State's Attorney's Office, Baltimore Police Department, and my Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement."

During the course of the three-month investigation, detectives conducted physical and aerial surveillance with the assistance of the U.S. National Guard. Detectives also conducted controlled purchases of fentanyl from Taylor, Wingate, and Davis with the assistance of BPD undercover detectives. In March 2023, BPD detectives recovered two loaded firearms from Parker in the same area. On March 29, 2023, the five defendants were indicted by the Baltimore City Circuit Court Grand Jury indicted the five defendants.

"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," said MONSE Executive Director Shantay Jackson. "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."

The three-month investigation culminated in the execution of search and seizure warrants on April 4, 2023. GVU detectives and the Regional Auto Theft Taskforce executed a search and seizure warrant on Kennedy's vehicle, a black Mini Cooper, which Kennedy was driving with Taylor in the front passenger seat. Recovered from the front passenger seat was three plastic bags, each containing 50 gel capsules of suspected fentanyl mixture, as well as another plastic bag containing 41 gel capsules of suspected fentanyl mixture.

"I am grateful for the dedication from the State's Attorney's Office Narcotics Unit and the Baltimore Police Department's Group Violence Unit in dismantling this menacing Drug Trafficking Organization. Our continued agency collaborations and law enforcement partnerships are crucial in bringing about a safer, healthier community for our residents and visitors alike," said Commissioner Michael S. Harrison. "Fentanyl is a blight on our neighborhoods, and it has played much too big of a role in the overdose epidemic around the country for far too long. Those who commit crimes and perpetuate a culture of violence will be held to account and brought to justice."

GVU detectives also executed a search and seizure warrant at Kennedy's residence on the 5900 block of Lillyan Avenue in Northeast Baltimore City. Recovered from Kennedy's basement bedroom were approximately 1,158 grams of suspected fentanyl, seven bags each containing 50 gel capsules of suspected fentanyl, two bags each containing 28 gel capsules of suspected fentanyl, one bag containing 49 gel capsules of suspected fentanyl, and materials used to package narcotics for street-level distribution.

The 300 block of S. Franklintown Road intersects with the 2500 block of Frederick Avenue, where Frederick Elementary School is located, approximately 350 feet from the DTO's area of operation.

Each of the members of the DTO has been indicted on the following charges:

Dane Kennedy, aka Danna Kennedy - Maximum Penalty of 60 years in prisonConspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl

Volume Dealer Fentanyl

Possession with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

Michelle Taylor - Maximum Penalty of 60 years in prison

Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl

Distribution Fentanyl

Possession with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

Jadin Wingate - Maximum Penalty of 120 years in prison

Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl (2 counts)

Distribution Fentanyl (4 counts)

Desean Parker - Maximum Penalty of 86 years in prison