BALTIMORE, — Two jailers have recently plead guilty for their role in smuggling drugs and contraband into the Baltimore City Detention Center, a conspiracy that involved dozens of defendants, including gang members.
To date, 26 out of 44 defendants charged in the conspiracy have pleaded guilty, including 16 jailers. One defendant has died. Trial is scheduled to begin November 17 for the remaining defendants.
Derrick Jones, age 41, of Baltimore, and Aisha Fraction, age 26, of Baltimore, are among 26 of 44 defendants charged in the conspiracy, including 16 correctional officers.
Judge Ellen L. Hollander this week sentenced Black Guerilla Family gang member and inmate Frederick Morrison, age 30, also of Baltimore, to five years in prison.
According to court documents, the Black Guerilla Family, a violent prison gang, has been the dominant gang at the Baltimore Detention Center and in several connected facilities, including the Baltimore Central Booking Intake Center, the Women’s Detention Center, which houses many men, and in the Jail Industries Building.
Jones and Fraction admitted that they smuggled contraband, including prescription pills, marijuana, and cellular phones, into Baltimore Detention Center for further distribution by inmates who were Black Guerilla Family members, such as Tavon White and Steven Loney.
At times, other jailers helped Jones and Fraction to smuggle the contraband into the prison, officials said.
Fraction had a personal relationship with at least one Black Guerilla Family inmate and was aware of other inmates and prison guards who were involved in smuggling and in sexual relationships, according to officials.
Authorities said the defendants knew that by smuggling such contraband into the detention center; they furthered the racketeering enterprise of the Black Guerilla Family.
According to his plea agreement, Morrison is a member of Black Guerilla Family and was in pretrial custody at the Detention Center from 2012 to 2013.
During that time, Morrison was involved with and often directed the smuggling of contraband into the Detention Center including cell phones, tobacco, marijuana and other drugs, through the services of jailers, who received payments, gifts or a share of the profits.
Morrison had a sexual relationship with at least one of the jailers involved in contraband trafficking. Morrison and his closest Black Guerilla allies frequently used various people to obtain contraband outside the prison, hold it or deliver it to corrections officers for smuggling.
Morrison also helped conceal contraband from prison officials at the Detention Center who would conduct periodic searches for contraband.
Sentencing is set for Jones and Fraction, on January 9, and December 5, 2014, respectively. The defendants face up to 20 years in prison.