Department of Justice

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake today sentenced Sydni Frazier, a/k/a Sid, Junior Boss, and Perry, age 28, of Baltimore, Maryland, to life in federal prison on charges of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime resulting in death, conspiracy to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin, possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, and possession of firearms by a felon.  A federal jury convicted Frazier on March 3, 2020.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to the evidence presented at Frazier’s six-day trial, between at least 2014 and 2017, Frazier conspired with others, including members and associates of the MMP gang, to distribute narcotics.  For many years, MMP controlled the drug trade in large swaths of Northwest Baltimore City and neighboring Baltimore County, including Forest Park, Windsor Mill, Gwynn Oak, Howard Park, and Woodlawn.  The gang’s drug shop in the 5200 block of Windsor Mill Road was particularly lucrative due to its close proximity to Interstate 70, and it frequently attracted drug customers driving from Western Maryland and neighboring states. 

The evidence presented at trial established that on August 10, 2016, Frazier and his co-conspirators kidnapped, robbed, and murdered Ricardo Johnson in order to enrich themselves and their drug trafficking conspiracy.  The victim was abducted at approximately 2:30 am as he was returning home to his apartment in the 1100 block of West Lanvale Street in Baltimore.  Less than four hours later, the victim’s body was discovered in the back of a stolen minivan parked next to the light rail tracks in the 2200 block of Kloman Street.  Johnson had been bound by the wrists and ankles, blindfolded, and shot over twenty times.  There was partially burned flammable material sticking out of the gas tank of the van, indicating that the killers had attempted to set the van on fire before departing the scene. 

Less than twelve hours after Johnson’s body was found, members of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) attempted to stop Frazier for riding an illegal dirt bike in the 2100 block of Tucker Lane.  Frazier fled and was able to get away, but in the process of fleeing, he abandoned the dirt bike as well as a backpack and gloves he had been wearing.  The backpack contained two cell phones belonging to Frazier and two loaded 9mm caliber handguns.  Both guns were a ballistic match to the 9mm caliber casings recovered from the murder scene.  In addition, the BPD DNA and Serology laboratory determined that Frazier’s DNA profile matched DNA from the insides of the gloves, and the victim’s DNA profile matched DNA from the outsides of the gloves.  Frazier illegally possessed the two loaded 9mm firearms, as he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to previous felony convictions.

With today’s sentencing, all twenty-six defendants charged in this case have been convicted and sentenced, with the gang leader, Dante Bailey, also being sentenced to life in prison, and most of the other defendants receiving between 14 and 30 years in federal prison. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the ATF, the Baltimore City and Baltimore County Police Departments, and the Baltimore City and Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Offices for their work in the investigation and prosecution.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Christina Hoffman and Christopher M. Rigali, who prosecuted the case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.  

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