Rayful Edmond
Encyclopedia
Rayful Edmond III was a notorious drug dealer who is largely credited with introducing crack cocaine into the Washington, D.C.
area. During this time period, Washington, DC was known as the "murder capital" because crack cocaine had ravaged the city, so much so that people were afraid to leave their homes, or take public transportation.
, and sold the drugs to Washington area wholesalers. He was known to have spent some $457,619 in an exclusive Georgetown
store (Linea Pitti, specializing in Italian men's clothing) owned by Charles Wynn who was later convicted on 34 counts of money laundering
. Edmond's estimated revenue was approximately $300 million annually. In one year, Edmond's organization, which employed 150 people, committed 30 murders.
, and frequently sat courtside with his entourage at the Capital Centre
for home games. At the height of his empire, he became very friendly with several Hoyas players. When Georgetown University
basketball coach (and D.C. native) John Thompson
confirmed what was happening, he sent word through his sources to have Edmond meet him at his office at McDonough Gymnasium
.
When Edmond arrived, Thompson was initially cordial, and informed Edmond that he needed to cease all contacts with his players, specifically John Turner
and Alonzo Mourning
, both of whom had befriended Edmond. However, Thompson's parting words to Edmond were that Edmond would face serious consequences if he did not stay away from his players. It is believed that Thompson is the only person to stand up to Edmond without consequence, initially causing some shock and surprise that there was no reprisal against Thompson for standing up to Edmond.
in Virginia and flown to the Federal Court House in Washington, D.C. by helicopter each day for his trial. Authorities took this unusual step due to heightened fears of an armed escape attempt. This gang was believed to have committed over 400 murders not including the attempted murder of a local pastor, the Reverend Mr. Bynum, who was shot 12 times during an anti-drug march in his Orleans Place neighborhood.
Edmond was convicted of numerous federal violations: (1) Engaging in a Continuing Criminal Enterprise
, under 21 U.S.C. §§ 848(b), 853 (Count One); (2) Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine
and more than 50 grams of cocaine base
, under 21 U.S.C. § 846 (Count Two); (3) Unlawfully employing a person under 18 years of age, under 21 U.S.C. § 845b (Count Five); (4) Interstate travel in aid of racketeering, under 18 U.S.C. § 1952(a) (Count Eleven); (5) Unlawful use of a communications facility, under 21 U.S.C. § 843(b) (Counts Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, and Eighteen).
On September 17, 1990, the District Court imposed sentences of mandatory life without parole on Count One, life without parole on Counts Two and Five, 60 months on Count Eleven, and 48 months on Counts Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, and Eighteen. Edmond's sentences were to run concurrently.
Edmond was eventually sentenced to life in prison without parole. His mother, Constance "Bootsie" Perry, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for participating in his criminal enterprise. Several of his sisters and cousins also received sentences.
Rayful continued to deal after being incarcerated in Lewisburg, PA federal prison. He hooked up with Dixon Dario and Osvaldo “Chiqui” Trujillo-Blanco (son of Griselda "Godmother" Trujillo Blanco
) who shared the same cell block with him. Rayful was setting up deals between D.C. area traffickers and his Colombian connect (Dario and Blanco) while incarcerated.(2) In 1996, Edmond and another drug dealer from Atlanta, named Lowe, were convicted after conducting drug business from a federal prison phone. Edmond received an additional 30-year sentence. Edmond's case is one of the most notorious abuses of such phone privileges, and an embarrassment for the Bureau of Prisons. In an interview with the Bureau of Prisons, Edmond said he had spent several hours every day on the telephone, occasionally using two lines simultaneously to conduct his drug business.
Following this conviction, Edmond became a government informant
, the reasons for which remain unknown and create speculation to this day. Some speculate it was to secure his mother's release from prison, however his mother was arrested in the original indictments and spent time in prison and Edmond did not become an informant during this time. Edmond is still incarcerated but is now part of the United States Federal Witness Protection Program
and his place of incarceration is confidential.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
area. During this time period, Washington, DC was known as the "murder capital" because crack cocaine had ravaged the city, so much so that people were afraid to leave their homes, or take public transportation.
Criminal career
Edmond was alleged to have moved large amounts of cocaine. In an indictment involving two of Edmond's associates, it said that they bought between 1,000 and 2,000 kilos per week, in 1992, from the Trujillo-Blanco brothers, who were associated with the Medellin cartelMedellín Cartel
The Medellín Cartel was an organized network of "drug suppliers and smugglers" originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia. The drug cartel operated in Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Central America, the United States, as well as Canada and Europe throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It was founded and...
, and sold the drugs to Washington area wholesalers. He was known to have spent some $457,619 in an exclusive Georgetown
Georgetown
-Africa:*Georgetown, Ascension Island, main settlement of the British territory of Ascension Island*George, Western Cape, South Africa, formerly known as Georgetown*Janjanbureh, The Gambia, formerly known as Georgetown-Asia:*Georgetown, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh...
store (Linea Pitti, specializing in Italian men's clothing) owned by Charles Wynn who was later convicted on 34 counts of money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
. Edmond's estimated revenue was approximately $300 million annually. In one year, Edmond's organization, which employed 150 people, committed 30 murders.
The Meeting With Coach Thompson
Edmond was an avid fan of the Georgetown HoyasGeorgetown Hoyas
Georgetown's nickname is The Hoyas, but its mascot is "Jack the Bulldog." Various breeds of dogs have been used by the sports teams as mascots since the early 1900s. Several notable bull terriers like Sergeant Stubby and "Hoya" were used at football games in the 1920s, as was a Great Dane in the...
, and frequently sat courtside with his entourage at the Capital Centre
Capital Centre
The Capital Centre was an indoor arena located in Landover, Maryland, unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland; a suburb of Washington, D.C. Completed in 1973, the arena sat 18,756 for basketball and 18,130 for hockey....
for home games. At the height of his empire, he became very friendly with several Hoyas players. When Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
basketball coach (and D.C. native) John Thompson
John Thompson (basketball)
John R. Thompson, Jr. is an American former basketball coach for the Georgetown University Hoyas. He is now a professional radio and TV sports commentator...
confirmed what was happening, he sent word through his sources to have Edmond meet him at his office at McDonough Gymnasium
McDonough Gymnasium
McDonough Gymnasium is a multi-purpose arena in Washington, D.C. The arena opened in 1951 and holds 2,500 people.Ground was broken for construction of the gymnasium on May 20, 1950; the cornerstone was laid on October 14, 1950; the official ribbon cutting and opening was held December 8, 1951...
.
When Edmond arrived, Thompson was initially cordial, and informed Edmond that he needed to cease all contacts with his players, specifically John Turner
John Turner (basketball)
John L. Turner is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Houston Rockets in the 1st round of the 1991 NBA Draft. A 6'8" power forward from Allegany Community College and Phillips University, Turner played in only one NBA season...
and Alonzo Mourning
Alonzo Mourning
Alonzo Harding Mourning, Jr. is a former American professional basketball player, who played most of his 15-year NBA career for the Miami Heat....
, both of whom had befriended Edmond. However, Thompson's parting words to Edmond were that Edmond would face serious consequences if he did not stay away from his players. It is believed that Thompson is the only person to stand up to Edmond without consequence, initially causing some shock and surprise that there was no reprisal against Thompson for standing up to Edmond.
Arrest, trial, and conviction
Edmond was arrested in 1989 at the age of 24. His arrest and subsequent trial were widely covered by local and national media. Judicial officials, fearful of reprisals from members of Edmond's gang, imposed unprecedented security during the trial. Jurors' identities were kept secret before, during, and after trial, and their seating area was enclosed in bulletproof glass. The presiding judge even barred the public from the trial in an effort to protect the jury. Edmond was jailed at the maximum security facility at Marine Corps Base QuanticoMarine Corps Base Quantico
Marine Corps Base Quantico, sometimes abbreviated MCB Quantico, is a major United States Marine Corps training base located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly in southern Prince William County, northern Stafford County, and southeastern Fauquier County...
in Virginia and flown to the Federal Court House in Washington, D.C. by helicopter each day for his trial. Authorities took this unusual step due to heightened fears of an armed escape attempt. This gang was believed to have committed over 400 murders not including the attempted murder of a local pastor, the Reverend Mr. Bynum, who was shot 12 times during an anti-drug march in his Orleans Place neighborhood.
Edmond was convicted of numerous federal violations: (1) Engaging in a Continuing Criminal Enterprise
Continuing Criminal Enterprise
The Continuing Criminal Enterprise Statute is a United States federal law that targets large-scale drug traffickers who are responsible for long-term and elaborate drug conspiracies...
, under 21 U.S.C. §§ 848(b), 853 (Count One); (2) Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
and more than 50 grams of cocaine base
Crack cocaine
Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked. It may also be termed rock, hard, iron, cavvy, base, or just crack; it is the most addictive form of cocaine. Crack rocks offer a short but intense high to smokers...
, under 21 U.S.C. § 846 (Count Two); (3) Unlawfully employing a person under 18 years of age, under 21 U.S.C. § 845b (Count Five); (4) Interstate travel in aid of racketeering, under 18 U.S.C. § 1952(a) (Count Eleven); (5) Unlawful use of a communications facility, under 21 U.S.C. § 843(b) (Counts Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, and Eighteen).
On September 17, 1990, the District Court imposed sentences of mandatory life without parole on Count One, life without parole on Counts Two and Five, 60 months on Count Eleven, and 48 months on Counts Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, and Eighteen. Edmond's sentences were to run concurrently.
Edmond was eventually sentenced to life in prison without parole. His mother, Constance "Bootsie" Perry, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for participating in his criminal enterprise. Several of his sisters and cousins also received sentences.
Rayful continued to deal after being incarcerated in Lewisburg, PA federal prison. He hooked up with Dixon Dario and Osvaldo “Chiqui” Trujillo-Blanco (son of Griselda "Godmother" Trujillo Blanco
Griselda Blanco
Griselda Blanco is a former drug lord for the Medellín Cartel, and was a pioneer in the Miami-based cocaine drug trade and underworld during the 1970s and early 1980s.-Biography:...
) who shared the same cell block with him. Rayful was setting up deals between D.C. area traffickers and his Colombian connect (Dario and Blanco) while incarcerated.(2) In 1996, Edmond and another drug dealer from Atlanta, named Lowe, were convicted after conducting drug business from a federal prison phone. Edmond received an additional 30-year sentence. Edmond's case is one of the most notorious abuses of such phone privileges, and an embarrassment for the Bureau of Prisons. In an interview with the Bureau of Prisons, Edmond said he had spent several hours every day on the telephone, occasionally using two lines simultaneously to conduct his drug business.
Following this conviction, Edmond became a government informant
Informant
An informant is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law enforcement world, where they are officially known as confidential or criminal informants , and can often refer pejoratively to the supply of information...
, the reasons for which remain unknown and create speculation to this day. Some speculate it was to secure his mother's release from prison, however his mother was arrested in the original indictments and spent time in prison and Edmond did not become an informant during this time. Edmond is still incarcerated but is now part of the United States Federal Witness Protection Program
United States Federal Witness Protection Program
The United States Federal Witness Protection Program is a witness protection program administered by the United States Department of Justice and operated by the United States Marshals Service that is designed to protect threatened witnesses before, during, and after a trial.A few states, including...
and his place of incarceration is confidential.
External links
- http://www.bet.com/shows/american-gangster.htmlRayful at BETBetBet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
Shows - American Gangster] - "American Gangster: Rayful Edmond III: Capitol Crimes" by Alan Kurtz (BlogcriticsBlogcriticsBlogcritics is a blog network and online magazine of news and opinion. The site—a self-proclaimed "sinister cabal of superior writers"—was founded in 2002 by Eric Olsen and Phillip Winn...
) - washingtonpost.com