The last members of the notorious Kennedy Street Crew (KDY) entered guilty pleas on charges related to their drug enterprise. Khali Ahmed Brown, 23, and Keion Michael Brown, 21, admitted to a host of crimes, including conspiracy to distribute significant quantities of illegal drugs and the use of firearms during their illicit activities. The case has been a focal point for law enforcement aiming to clamp down on drug-fueled crime in the capital.
The Brown brothers were deeply entwined in running open-air drug markets on Kennedy Street, an area that has witnessed its share of bloodshed. In a statement obtained by the Justice Department, with five homicides and numerous assaults linked to KDY's reign from June 2019 to June 2023, it's clear their operations came with high stakes. Khali Brown, often regarded as the face of KDY, was among those who smuggled vast quantities of marijuana from the West Coast to Washington D.C., fueling the group's stronghold while profiting heavily.
Both brothers also maintained stash houses for the crew's drugs and weapons. Notably, a major interdiction took place on January 26, 2023, at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, where Khali Brown and co-defendants were stopped with a significant haul of marijuana. This raid demonstrated the extent of KDY's logistics—transporting drugs across the country to supply their D.C. operations.
Upon their arrest, numerous firearms including machine guns and a range of drugs were seized, underlying the serious firepower the crew possessed in support of their narcotics enterprise. Khali Brown's possession of a Glock 17 9mm used in a November 18, 2022, shooting incident outside Jackson-Reed High School was pivotal for the firearms possession charge he faced. According to the Justice Department, the arrest of Keion Brown and associates in a laundry room, concealed with firearms, led to the apprehension of Keion Brown, indicating the crew's readiness to defend their turf violently.
The dismantling of KDY is the result of a concerted effort by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) which targets high-level criminal networks. The investigation included collaboration across several law enforcement agencies, including the Metropolitan Police Department, the DEA, ATF, FBI, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Office. The prosecution of the Kennedy Street Crew was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Sitara Witanachchi, with significant contributions from other offices proving vital to the case's successful outcome. Sentencing for the Brown brothers is scheduled for December 12.
