At Davis Food and Drug we have everything you need, and expect, from your local grocery store. Investigators tracked the alleged drug trafficker to a hotel next to Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus days later. The detail was apparently asked specifically not to interfere with Johnnys activities. 0:04. My dad was sentenced to eight years. I look at my friends that I went to college with, and I see them with thriving careers, they're married with kids. 2 brothers who ran huge Detroit area drug ring get life Nov. 8, 2019: Janard Thomas and Battiste distributed 40 grams or more of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl, the indictment claims. They all dated drug dealers. Gang members shared information about plans and activities and distributed firearms to each other to carry out those plans, according to the indictment. Sometimes, judges let defendants . He was at the house of Leon Lucas, his uncle and a gang member, when the young boy, unfortunately, died in a drive-by shooting. During the height of his power, Davis was an international drug smuggler, supplying Detroit heavyweights like Young Boys Incorporated. Underworld legend Doc Davis joined the Original Gangsters Podcast in studio! While Im sitting out there and theyre searching the place, I heard gunshots. He got sick in prison and was let out on compassionate release before he died. Brandi Davis, 36, grew up around the drug game in Detroit. Rudy Davis, the precinct narcotics crew chief in the Detroit Police Department's 10 th Precinct. I missed a significant part of my early life in prisonthe majority of my 20s and the beginning of my 30s. It was the murder of a 13-year-old Damion Lucas, who was caught in the crosshairs of a beef between two rival gang members. Feb. 2, 2018: A picture on Facebook showed Dionne Peterson with a handgun and an extended magazine putting his arm around Luther Peterson, police said. Brandi Davis Wiki, Biography, Age, Husband, Height, Parents, Ethnicity The dealer also identified cars used to haul drugs money between California and Detroit. My dad bought us fur coats and designer clothes. He declined comment Tuesday. Wonnie ended up dying in prison from an asthma attack just over a year later. The references to drugs and and raids, however, are echoed in the DEAs overview of the investigation outlined in the federal search warrant document. Hit man Smothers describes killing drug dealer in '04 And since January 2015, more than $345,000 was deposited through ATMs in Detroit and Baltimore. I grew up down the street from Marlon Welch. Wonnie went up to my attic and I was scrambling around the house, trying to get all the jewelry out of sight. Aug. 4, 2017: An IJU member had two guns, ammo, heroin and digital scales at a home in Huntington, according to authorities. Nov. 23, 2015: Luther Peterson sold heroin to an undercover officer in Jackson, officials said. 0:35. I went into a deep depression and started neglecting my duties as a parent. Being supplied by local wholesale moguls Arthur AD Derrick and Sam Doc Curry (no relation), the Currys had an endless supply of powdery goodness that they cut and sold for an estimated $200,000,000 over the next three years. Sometime in or before 2014 through January 2019, Duane Peterson and Brown were among a group of people associated with an IJU racketeering scheme, according to authorities. The Detroit Drug Wars (Part 1) 9 years ago Scott Burnstein. 468K views 2 years ago DETROIT According to the DEA, Reginald "Doc" Davis and Duane Davis of Detroit, Michigan were the two largest H dealers in the United States over the period. April 3, 2018: Luther Peterson posted a picture on his Facebook account showing him and Dionne Peterson, officials said. The fallout eventually spurred both of their downfalls and led to the Curry gang swooping in and coyly picking up the scraps left behind. Carlouse Johnson, Lanardo Johnson and Michael Thomas are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Members of the group also had guns to protect their operation and intimidate others, authorities said. True Crime. The funny thing about that time is that a lot of guys who made major paper, guys like Little Man and Big Man, were considerably less well-known to the public than the guys who had these big personalities and were in all the headlines but didnt hold a candle to cats like the Curry boys when it came to hustling, Boyd said. What It's Like to Be a Big-Time Female Coke Trafficker - Vice I brought in my dad and my stepbrother and we were off and running. Along with family and friends, Davis began organizing 25-kilo shipments of cocaine from Chicago to her home turf of Detroit. We traveled. After that, it became a routine thing. It is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and. Young Boys Incorporated, also known as Y.B.I., was a major drug organization in Detroit, Michigan, who were among the first African American drug cartels to operate on inner-city street corners. I went to private school. As an added convenience and for homebound patients, Davis Drugs has. For more information, please see our If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. He is a former assistant U.S. attorney who in 2014 successfully prosecuted three fez-wearing drug dealers involved in one of the largest narcotics rings in Metro Detroit history. I didnt sell drugs back then, but I would help count money and move money around. Defendants involved: Demarco Johnson, Maurice Johnson, Gary Johnson, Carlouse Johnson, Lanardo Johnson, Deantez Johnson, Janard Thomas, Michael Thomas, Dominique Jackson, Ricky Poole, Martin Battiste and Marquan Moses. Duane Peterson and the other gang member split the $10,000, police said. White Boy is a true-crime offering from Shawn Rech about a 17-year-old kid who ended up being dubbed as White Boy Rick, alleged to be one of the most notorious drug dealers in Detroit during the 1980s. The car collection cost $519,000, or about 14 times as much money as Brown reported on his 2011 taxes, according to the search warrant affidavit. Members would also tout the gangs accomplishments via pictures, videos and messages on social media, federal officials said. It wasnt out of the ordinary, it was just how I grew up. Brandi Davis is a popular American TV personality, actress, and businesswoman. The FBI estimated that they sold anywhere between $150 to $200 million worth of drugs in the 1980s. Brown said that the money was going to be delivered by a man driving an older model gold-colored Buick, Popp wrote. Federal authorities believe he possessed a handgun that day. Around mid-1984, the over two dozen Curry-owned heroin dens scattered throughout the city virtually all became crack houses. I picked up the money and plugged people with other people. Mr. (If) it wasnt me, somebody was going to do it. PDF Reputed Heroin Dealer Sentenced \ to 45 Years for Cocaine Smuggling Federal officials said one or more kilogram of the heroin mixture/substance was linked to Maurice Johnson, Gary Johnson, Carlouse Johnson, Deantez Johnson, Janard Thomas, Jackson and Moses. Poole is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, two counts of distribution of controlled substances -- aiding and abetting and felon in possession of a firearm. Since 2013, Young consistently received 2 kilograms of heroin from Brown every month and paid $75,000 per kilogram. Where is Johnny Curry Now? - The Cinemaholic He had no business holding as much weight as he did, but somehow he climbed to heights in the urban underworld few his age or skin color have ever achieved. Duane Peterson and Brown are charged with racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Brown owns the home, according to the DEA and property records. Mafia. Deantez Johnson is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances -- aiding and abetting. They kept asking us who we called over to start shooting at them. An Oakland County physician was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in prison in connection with health care fraud and illegally distributing prescription drugs . Their enterprise came to an end in 1987 when Johnny, Leo, and other members of the organization were arrested with the help of Richards information. Everybody looked at them like these drug kingpins, but I looked at them like my homies. They were asking where Wonnie was. On March 6, 2018, Duane Peterson choked and repeatedly punched someone inside the Liquor Island convenience store in Detroit, officials said. The heroin and fentanyl investigation coincides with a 57 percent rise in overdose deaths nationwide in recent years tied to synthetic opioids. At Davis Food & Drug Pharmacies, we can help you with all your prescription and wellness needsall while saving you time and money. Officials said they would use homes in Detroit to store, conceal and distribute the drugs and proceeds from trafficking. In this full-length interview, former drug queenpin and BMF affiliate Brandi Davis elaborates on her upbringing as the daughter of an infamous drug dealer from Detroit, Mr. Davis. I had my first Rolex when I was in tenth grade. Dec. 12, 2015: Luther Peterson possessed heroin and $396 in Jackson, the indictment claims. March 6, 2018: Dionne Peterson received a text informing him that authorities had searched and recovered drugs and money in Jackson, according to the indictment. At first glance, everybody was shocked. You are unauthorized to view this page. That was the way he acted and those were the type of girls he dated and people he hung around with. Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. One of the most painful things to emotionally endure was when my dad and I were sentenced on the same day in court. We recounted how Detroit heroin dealers conspired with corrupt cops to succeed and to dominate an ever more competitive market for the stuff of white powder dreams. She was absolutely right, so I pulled myself together. Lurking in the shadows, the Curry gang sat back and watched as YBI and Pony Down went to war with each other, racking up headlines and flouting the law with bloodshed and overly-boastful behavior. It can take years to investigate multi-state, large-scale drug rings. I brought in my dad and my stepbrother and we were off and running. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports. The fleet included a gray Nissan Altima, the DEA alleges. July 3, 2017: Dionne Peterson was pictured with a handgun and an extended magazine, the indictment says. Here are the seven men who were charged, along with their known nicknames: Our message to violent drug-dealing gang members could not be more clear: Our federal and state law enforcement team knows exactly who you are, and we are coming after you, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider said. 5 0 obj The gang helped members and associates obstruct and hinder authorities to avoid prosecution, federal officials said. Despite the federal drug investigation, the gun charge, and accusations by Charli Baltimore, Brown remains free on bond. I was pregnant and my sons father was going away. We got busted in a sting set up by one of my drivers. On Detroits east side, IJU maintained stash houses for drugs and guns while also selling drugs, according to court records. I didnt know exactly what he did for a living, but I knew we werent wanting for anything. Akia Brown is a real estate agent, motivational speaker and author. The informant told DEA agents that Brown was one of the largest heroin dealers in the Midwest and had accumulated millions of dollars in cash, luxury vehicles and expensive jewelry, according to court records. On Nov. 5, investigators watched the alleged drug trafficker and a second man leave the hotel in a silver Cadillac DTS. Little Man had allies in almost every nook and cranny of the citys political structure, deep inroads that reached all the very top of the Mayors office. April 16, 2019: Gary Johnson is accused of distributing 40 or more grams of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl. Members and associates of the enterprise were expected to retaliate with threats of violence and violence when members and associates of the enterprise were insulted, threatened, intimidated or assaulted, the indictment says. Agents learned the rent for the Skokie home was being paid for via money orders. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Sept. 9, 2015: Luther Peterson sold heroin to an undercover officer in Jackson, officials said. We just kicked it and shot the shit the whole night. It appeared very effortless for him. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. They would also ask women to hide drugs on their person, according to the indictment. Dec. 18, 2018: Maurice Johnson and Gary Johnson distributed 40 grams or more of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl, court records say. The lawsuit appears to adopt scenes from the critically acclaimed movie Straight Outta Compton, Browns attorney Alanna ORourke wrote in a court filing. Johnny had met the 14-year-old kid through his brother, and he immediately became a favorite of the family. If a man couldnt do what he did for me, there was no point talking to him. When the curtain finally came down on the gangs tenure in the late-1980s, cocaine was the product being pushed, specifically crack. Members were expected to obey the rules and orders of IJUs leadership, particularly Duane Peterson, the indictment reads. To see my mom crying and for her to have to go through that was a tremendous blow. DEA agents in California hid a GPS tracking device on the Altima in June 2014 and traced the car to Browns wife, Akia, according to the court file. Brandi Davis is popular for her appearance in American Gangster: Trap Queens. The documentary involves interviews with Richard Wershe Jr.'s acquaintances from back in the day, law . Former Detroit Kingpin: Doc Davis | Original Gangsters, a True Crime Jan. 25, 2015: Deshawn Peterson possessed marijuana, heroin, crack cocaine, digital scales and US currency in a Jackson house, the indictment alleges. THE HIGH PRICE I HAD TO PAY 4: A Product Of The Game, Sentenced To 10 Battiste is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and two counts of distribution of controlled substances -- aiding and abetting. Duane Peterson, Dayquan Johnson, Luther Peterson, Brown and another IJU member went to B.O.Bz Lounge in Detroit to confront the man and shot at him as he retreated from them, court documents say. I grew up in Southfield, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. According to the DEA, Reginald "Doc" Davis and Duane Davis of Detroit, Michigan were the two largest H dealers in the United States over the period 1975-1985. Detroit Drug Wars - The Curry Brothers (1970s - 2000s) I believe that the Altima had been loaded with drugs that were transported from California to Detroit for distribution by Brian Brown and members of his (drug ring), Popp wrote. My problems went from state to federal. They were "get money" dudes. Eventually Doc became a fugitive and was on the top 10 most . We both pled out and I got sentenced to ten years. During the height of his power, Davis was an international drug smuggler, supplying Detroit heavyweights like Young Boys Incorporated. I was just looking at him, like, Damn, its all come down to this. x\[5.nMRT;I~}uYTh4}=}.H?Z]L7g3UcWg?q;\ 9[du{Y7UntzF??2=qMm7]=N7{[[]=?y3NNamn:8QiXQ#x3)]:j'seZl$T X&Z)?DJ)[uhowihjZF FBI task force members set up surveillance nearby and watched the man for seven days. One of the people who knew Richard during his time within the Detroit drug circle was Johnny Curry, another drug kingpin. Im thinking they found Wonnie and killed him. [s8%UF}^0(8eY~Bgp~(YosnYbMY6-u z'*CSLQmw!.Z hC#tgFOla:(Fj]}"rhCRAqH 'nrW. The Young Boys were innovative, opening franchises in other cities, promoting brand names, and unleashing extreme brutality to frighten away rivals. Home - Davis Food & Drug They also wanted to expand and protect the power and reputation of the gang through violence and intimidation, according to authorities. In Store . April 19, 2016: Luther Peterson sold heroin to an undercover officer in Jackson, authorities said. Court records allege they helped each other cover up the crimes to avoid successful law enforcement investigation. Surprisingly, the assimilation process was very fast, he was accepted very quickly by all the major players outside the Curry boys as one of their own. Original Gangsters, a True Crime Talk Podcast, Original Gangsters, a True Crime Talk Podcast. On Thursday (Oct. 22), federal officials unsealed an indictment that charged seven members of the Its Just Us gang, including Duane Peterson, the alleged leader. The seizure did not send Brown back to prison, but he forfeited a 2007 Harley-Davidson Road King. Wershe rise to fame blew peoples minds and created frenzied news coverage. Defendants involved: Duane Peterson, Dionne Peterson, Deshawn Peterson, Luther Peterson, Dayquan Johnson, James Davis and Melvin Brown, Federal officials describe the Its Just Us gang as a violent, Detroit-based drug trafficking organization founded by the Peterson family in 2014.. They were a true anomaly. Gary Johnson is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances -- aiding and abetting, distribution of controlled substances. On Nov. 30, 2015, the DEA was ready to raid Browns alleged drug empire, including at least seven locations across Metro Detroit. I ran through the cornfields with a blowup mattress on my back, Brown told celebrity news magazine Rolling Out. During the meeting, the agent received a black duffel bag filled with $236,900 from a man linked to Browns alleged drug ring, according to the court file. Gang members would also declare their affiliation with clothes that said Its Just Us or IJU, according to authorities. Heres what we know! The Davis Family Gang did them one better and lasted six. Jan. 25, 2019: Dayquan Johnson told Davis he would pay for him to be released on bond, according to court records. Brian Brown agreed to deliver the money to the Bob Evans restaurant in the Detroit area, the DEA agent wrote in the search warrant filing. Fade To Black: The Ultimate Big Meech & Black Mafia Family Timeline Detroit is a hustling town and I was used to being around those kind of dudes. Eventually Doc became a fugitive and was on the top 10 most wanted list. Eventually Doc became a fugitive and was on the top 10 most wanted list. It was a prize. A doctor holding pills. They were threatening us, saying were all going to jail for attempted murder on a federal agent. If they wanted to talk to me, they had to come at me the right way. Around May 2005, Wonnie came to Atlanta, even though I told him I didnt feel like it was safe. During the height of his power, Davis was an international drug smuggler, supplying Detroit heavyweights like Young Boys Incorporated. I expected them to look out for me and buy me things. They also found a loaded and stolen .40-caliber Smith & Wesson semi-automatic handgun on a nightstand in the master bedroom, a commercial money counter and drug packaging materials, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court. Detroit H Kings | Davis Family | American Dope - YouTube But it was as a college studentwhen she dated Deron "Wonnie" Gatling, a power player in the iconic Black Mafia Family (BMF)that she started on a path toward her own notoriety. The 50-page federal court record contradicts Browns redemption story crafted after he emerged from a decade-long prison sentence for drug conspiracy in 2010. [1] I was three months pregnant and he wanted to see some friends. If Johnny trusted him and treated him like a son, the rest of the street had no choice but to respect him. After Gatling went to prison in 2005, Davis made a decision that changed her life forever: She stepped foot into the drug game herself, a business shed always been around, but had never been fully involved in. Three weeks later, investigators tracked the alleged drug dealer to the Los Angeles area. This account has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. Stay up-to-date on your favorite celebrities and news topics by signing up! Thats how fast it started for me getting involved with selling drugs. It was stated in the documentary that Cathy always had a security detail around her put up by the Mayor. During the height of his power, Davis was an international drug smuggler, supplying Detroit heavyweights like Young Boys Incorporated. Brown buys the drug from a group in California that has direct ties to Mexican drug cartels, the informant said. Was selling alcohol a good cover for Al Capone? Moses is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances -- aiding and abetting. But even with organized crime Im speaking of the Italian and Sicilians they knew not to be too flashy.. He lived the culture, so people didnt view him as an outsider playing gangster. 19 Detroit men face drug charges; feds reveal 'climate of fear - WDIV Later that year, a Detroit News article reported an on-going investigation into Hills possible role in leaking information and taking a payoff from Curry to impede progress in the case of a gangland homicide that was allegedly pointing in the direction of Curry and his crew. Also along for the ride was the familys baby brother Rudell Boo Curry, an eager lieutenant almost always at his older siblings sides, being groomed for a future leadership role. Within days, the tracking device showed the Altima at a home on Tracey Street on Detroits west side. Right Image:(Photo by James Pozarik/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images). Davis was one of Detroit's largest drug kingpins in the 70s and 80s. Reginald Gary Davis, described several years ago as "the main man in Detroit" drug trafficking She was an unemployed mother of four and $540,000 in debt when she filed bankruptcy in 2009, the year before her husband finished his prison sentence. Although he admits to speaking with Cathy on the phone the day after the Lucas homicide, he denies disrupting the investigation related to the murder and taking any money to help shield Curry from harm. I say practically because he wound up getting busted, but only after he stayed around probably a good five years longer than he should have. Cathy testified under oath in 1992 that Hill tipped her and Curry off in 1986 about their home telephone being bugged by federal surveillance experts. The indictment says Duane Peterson and others committed an act involving first-degree murder in the willful, deliberate and premeditated killing of the victim. It was the norm. She served almost eight years in prison; meanwhile, her dads health failed him shortly after his own early release. A probation officer concluded Brown violated conditions of his release from federal prison, but Brown remained a free man. Investigations can be prolonged, especially, if there are money-laundering allegations involving cash, he said. A month later, in January 2015, the investigation led to Birmingham, Alabama, where agents raided a home and arrested Eric Young, who banking records showed had wired money to Brian Brown. "I believe every month in the '70s, we all had houses, condos, apartments out in California and he would pay all of the bills," said Davis. While promoting her memoir, Akia Brown claimed in a recent interview that she conceived two children with her husband while he was in federal prison. Mug shot of Adolph (Doc Holliday) Powell, arrested in Detroit in 1979 for the murders of William Jackson, Joanne Clark and Willie McCoy in what police described as a drug turf war. 0:41. Oakland County 'pill mill' doc sentenced to 20 years for illegal drug The roots of the drug case date to 2012 and investigators have seized $550,000 in cash, 8 kilograms of heroin and the fentanyl.