Federal prosecutors say two Baltimore men ran a drug operation that pushed fentanyl and cocaine through an open-air market on Druid Hill Avenue, relied on adolescent boys to handle street-level sales, and ended with the defendants smashing their cellphones as agents moved in to make arrests on September 22.
Charles “Bok” Byers and Darryl “DJ” Hairston Jr., both 48-year-old Baltimore men, were indicted on federal drug-trafficking charges on September 25, according to DailyVoice.com. Federal prosecutors say the pair ran a large-scale drug operation, and per the indictment, federal agents recovered kilograms of fentanyl, cocaine and several guns as part of the case.
Investigators allege the operation moved drugs from a northeast Baltimore stash house to multiple locations, feeding an open-air drug market on Druid Hill Avenue in West Baltimore, with adolescent boys conducting street-level sales, as reported by Daily Voice. Hairston allegedly oversaw that street-level operation, the outlet reports, while investigators say the organization had at least 400 grams of fentanyl and trafficked crack cocaine.
Investigation Traced Supplies Back to a Baltimore County Store
The case dates back to an investigation that began in May, per the same account. Prosecutors allege Byers bought large quantities of quinine, mannitol and drug-packaging supplies from a Baltimore County store, then brought those drugs and supplies to the northeast Baltimore stash house for processing before he and Hairston moved the finished product to other locations, as noted by Daily Voice.
Agents allege that adolescent boys conducted hand-to-hand drug transactions at the street shop, and that narcotics were kept inside a secondary stash location or hidden outdoors for distribution. Prosecutors say an undercover agent bought larger quantities of drugs directly from Hairston as the investigation progressed, and state and local authorities searched stash locations in July and August ahead of the eventual takedown.
Fentanyl Bags Marked by Neighborhood, Phones Destroyed During Arrests
Federal agents executed arrest and search warrants at several locations and vehicles on September 22, according to the report. Prosecutors say Byers and Hairston smashed cellphones during that takedown, while federal agents found bags of suspected fentanyl stamped “east side” and “west side” at a stash location, Daily Voice reported Daily Voice.
Authorities recovered thousands of gel capsules containing confirmed or suspected fentanyl, along with multiple kilograms of powdered confirmed or suspected fentanyl, crack cocaine, powder cocaine and several firearms. Federal prosecutors allege Byers and Hairston possessed three loaded firearms in connection with the operation, and say the two men are prohibited from possessing guns because of previous convictions, per a report from Daily Voice.
Charges Carry Mandatory Minimum Prison Terms
Byers and Hairston are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, along with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, per the DailyVoice.com report. They also face charges of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and possession of firearms and ammunition by a prohibited person.
Each defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison on the drug charges. The firearm charge tied to drug trafficking carries a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison, while the prohibited-person gun charge carries up to 15 years. The indictment remains an allegation, and Byers and Hairston are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
A 2003 report from The Baltimore Sun identified a Charles “Bok” Byers and a Darryl “DJ” Hairston among alleged leaders of a separate drug ring at that time, noting Hairston pleaded guilty in that case.
