In a sweeping crackdown on drug trafficking in Chicago, federal authorities have charged 13 people following the completion of two long-term investigations.
A charging document unsealed on Tuesday paints a vivid picture of one highly-organized network that combined drug dealing with armed security to protect its operations in Englewood.
At the heart of the case is Kejuan “Beeda” Bryant, who allegedly orchestrated a drug market on the 1200 block of W. 73rd Place, trafficking hundreds of pounds of marijuana, the document said. Alongside him, Jamari “Skedda” Goodman, Joseph “Jody Jo” Heath, Matthew “Pooday” Furdge, Kewann “Santana” Whitaker, Igor “England” Dze, and Khiry “Ree” Strickland are accused of managing and supplying the operation, which allegedly moved large volumes of pot through the city.
The group’s activities, prosecutors say, were not only large-scale but meticulously planned, with armed guards patrolling the area around the 1200 block of West 73rd Place to safeguard their stash and cash.
Prosecutors said the group stored its marijuana inventory in homes around the neighborhood, with a small arsenal of firearms stashed in various residences “to be used to protect the conspiracy’s drug trafficking activities and proceeds of those drug trafficking activities.”
The feds are also seeking the forfeiture of $136,463 in cash believed to be proceeds from the operation, along with an impressive cache of weapons, including a Sig Sauer P365 9mm pistol, a Beretta .32 caliber pistol, a Glock 43, an AR-15-style pistol, and an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 rifle, among others.
Those guns and cash were allegedly seized during the execution of a search warrant at Bryant’s home last year, a second court filing shows. Agents raided the house in the 1500 block of West Asher at 5:56 a.m. on November 13 and walked away with over 50 pounds of marijuana, more than $100,000 in cash, and four firearms, according to a complaint filed against Bryant in November.
In the kitchen, agents allegedly found bundles of cash strewn across the counter, tucked above the refrigerator, and stashed in a cabinet. Alongside the money, they discovered a large jar filled with small, knotted plastic bags of suspected marijuana.
A cabinet holding stacks of cash also concealed three firearms, the feds alleged. Agents entering the master bedroom allegedly recovered a Beretta 9mm wrapped in a white t-shirt in the closet, alongside more cash hidden in a pair of pants, on a dresser, and in a drawer.
The basement, prosecutors said, revealed the operation’s true scale: approximately 48 vacuum-sealed bags of suspected marijuana, each weighing about one pound and labeled with various “strains” or “flavors.” A suitcase in the basement contained bank statements in Bryant’s name, and yet another bag stuffed with cash. Agents in the basement also seized “an approximately five-foot-tall portrait of Bryant and a woman.”
Altogether, prosecutors said investigators seized about 2,000 pounds of marijuana, about 81 firearms, including five assault-style rifles, roughly $425,000 in cash, and jewelry valued at approximately $300,000.
Chicago police teamed up with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, Secret Service, and Marshal Service to execute the investigation.
In a separate probe, federal officials on Wednesday announced that a grand jury had indicted six people allegedly involved in fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine trafficking in Chicago.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago offered few specifics of the investigation. The accused are Andre “Dre” Debruce, 40, Terrance “T-Mac” Patton, 40; Craig “CG” Caldwell, 43; Timothy “Cuzzo” Belin, 48; Jennifer Word, 39; and Denomoius “Dinero” Wells, 41.
Patton and Caldwell, both previously convicted felons, face additional charges for illegally possessing semiautomatic handguns, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a press release. Caldwell is also accused of possessing a firearm to further drug trafficking activities.
The charges carry severe penalties according to the press release. Caldwell faces up to life in prison with a mandatory minimum of five years, while Patton and Debruce could see up to 40 years with a five-year minimum. Belin, Word, and Wells each face up to 20 years.
All six defendants pleaded not guilty at their arraignments.
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