Baltimore BGF Gang Member Pleads Guilty to a Federal Racketeering Conspiracy Charge, Including Murder
BALTIMORE — Wayne Prince, aka “Taz,” 24, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to participate in a violent racketeering enterprise known as the Black Guerilla Family, aka “BGF,” gang.
The guilty plea was announced by U.S. 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 - Baltimore Field Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement and other court documents, beginning in 2018 Prince was a member and associate of the BGF, also known as “Jamaa,” and participated in the BGF criminal enterprise, including a murder, a drug distribution conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute drugs and robbery. BGF is a nationwide gang which began operating in prisons and is now involved in criminal activity, including murder, murder-for-hire, robbery, extortion, drug trafficking, obstruction of justice and witness intimidation, in cities throughout the U.S., including Baltimore and throughout Maryland.
As detailed in his plea agreement, on Aug. 7, 2018, Prince and two co-conspirators attempted to murder an individual at a home that the target owned and was having renovated. A construction crew was on site at the time. During the assault, Prince and a co-conspirator shot and killed one of the construction workers using a .40 caliber handgun. They also shot a second construction worker in the head, but that person survived the attack.
Later that day, Prince bragged to an associate during a recorded jail call, “I’m about to get some money soon,” referring to an expected payment from Co-Conspirator 2 for Prince’s role in the attempted murder of the target. From Aug. 7 to Aug. 9, 2018, Prince exchanged messages with a now-deceased member of Co-Conspirator 2’s inner circle, in which Prince made arrangements to collect payment from Co-Conspirator 2 for his role in the attempted murder of the target.
Prince and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea, Prince will be sentenced to between 20 and 29 years in federal prison. Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for March 26.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
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 commended the ATF, FBI, the Baltimore City Police Department and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter J. Martinez, Patricia C. McLane and Ari D. Evans, who are prosecuting the case.
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