Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

BALTIMORE, Md. — Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Desmond Butler, 26, of Baltimore, today to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for a racketeering conspiracy, including murders and attempted murders, related to his participation in the violent street gang known as Cruddy Conniving Crutballs or Triple C, which operated throughout Baltimore. Earlier this week, Chief Judge Bredar sentenced Triple C members Wayne Gilliam, 28, and Tyeshawn Rivers, 24, both of Baltimore, each to 25 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for the same charge.

The sentences were announced 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); Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Departments.

“When you perpetrate violence upon communities, like these defendants, you will be held accountable,” said United States Attorney Erek L. Barron.  “Young people must know that they can make another choice besides violence and murder, and we will continue to work with our community partners to get that message out.”

According to Gilliam, Rivers and Butler’s plea agreements and other court documents, Triple C members engaged in a pattern of criminal racketeering activity between 2015 and 2020, including more than a dozen murders and numerous non-fatal shootings, robberies, and carjackings, in order to promote the reputation of Triple C and to command respect from the neighborhood.  Other spin-offs of the gang are “SCL” and recently, “TRD.”

 As detailed in the plea agreements, the gang benefitted financially from selling narcotics, murdering drug dealers, taking contract killings, and engaging in street robberies.  Triple C members also robbed dice games for cash and occasionally carjacked vehicles.  Triple C members and associates used at least 14 firearms to commit crimes, often trading with each other or other groups to avoid detection through ballistic evidence.  Members divided the proceeds of illegal activities among those who participated in the crimes, and often contacted each other to commit a robbery if a member needed money.  Members of Triple C often critiqued each other after committing crimes regarding ways to improve their performance. 

Triple C members routinely used social media to identify and locate victims, to communicate with each other, and to share information concerning possible retaliation for violent crimes committed by gang members. Details of the crimes committed by Triple C members were publicized on social media and thus were well-known to CCC members. 

Desmond Butler admitted that he participated in the August 19, 2017, murder of Devonte Monroe in the 1700 block of Durham Street in Baltimore; the April 21, 2018, murder of Diamante Howard during a dice game in the 6100 block of Fortview Way in Baltimore; the December 31, 2018, murder of Corey Mosley; the February 24, 2019, robbery and attempted murder of Q.W. in the 5200 block of Cedonia Avenue in Baltimore; and the July 4, 2019 attempted murder of A.C. and D.R. in the 5500 block of Bowley’s Lane in Baltimore.

Wayne Gilliam admitted that he participated in the December 31, 2018, murder of Corey Mosley in the 4900 block of Green Rose Lane in Baltimore, and the April 14, 2019, attempted murder of rival gang members “LTMN” in the 3500 block of Pelham Avenue in Baltimore, during which at least one member of the conspiracy fired a firearm.  

Tyeshawn Rivers admitted that he participated in the August 5, 2020, murder of Donya Short in Baltimore City, during which Short was shot and killed; the April 4, 2018, attempted murder of rival gang members in the 2900 block of Mayfield Avenue, in Baltimore City, during which at least one member of the conspiracy fired a firearm; the March 17, 2020, attempted murder of T.B. and others in the 300 block of McMechen Street in Baltimore, during which T.B. was shot; and on October 30, 2020, the defendant possessed a .45 caliber handgun which is a ballistic match to shell casings found at the August 5, 2020, murder of Donya Short. 

In addition to these violent acts, all three defendants admitted that they agreed to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, including crack cocaine, on behalf of the racketeering enterprise.

This investigation has led to the guilty pleas of 34 members and associates of Triple C.

This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) 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-n....

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.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in this investigation and thanked the United States Marshals Service and the Office of the Baltimore City State’s Attorney for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia C. McLane and Michael C. Hanlon, 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 www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn.

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