Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Cornell Harvey, a/k/a “Little Head,” age 29, of Baltimore, today to 262 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise in connection with his gang activities as a member of the UDH organization, which operates in the Cherry Hill section of Baltimore. Harvey’s federal sentence will be served concurrent to the two life sentences he received on state charges for an unrelated murder in Cherry Hill.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Daniel L. Board, Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Commissioner Kevin Davis of the Baltimore Police Department; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby.

“Disputes between rival drug gangs lead to many shootings and murders in Baltimore City,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “Thanks to a lengthy and intensive investigation, we will hold accountable the criminals who turned Cherry Hill into a war zone.”

According to his plea agreement, from at least 2007 to 2013 Harvey was a member of the UDH organization, which operates in the area of Cherry Hill known as “Up the Hill” or “Up da Hill.” UDH members and associates have been in a long-running dispute with members of an organization known as “Coppin Court” that is involved in criminal activity in the part of Cherry Hill known as “Down the Hill,” and since at least January 2011, have been in a dispute with members of “Little Spelman,” another organization that is involved in criminal activity in the Down the Hill section of Cherry Hill. UDH members and associates used violence and intimidation to protect themselves, the organization, and their control of the drug trade in part of Cherry Hill.

Harvey admitted that as a member of UDH he sold crack cocaine, heroin and other narcotics with UDH members. In addition to selling drugs, Harvey admitted that on October 5, 2010, he and co-defendant Dominic Evans committed an armed robbery of two individuals who were selling marijuana in the area, but who were not UDH members. After stealing $150 from one of the victims, Harvey began to shoot at the two individuals. One of the victims was shot once and survived his wound, but the other victim, who was shot at least three times, died from her wounds. The murder was captured on CCTV. A Baltimore City jury acquitted Harvey and Evans of this murder.

Finally, on January 29, 2011, at approximately 1:30 am, Harvey, and other gang members were arrested riding around Cherry Hill in a stolen 1997 green Cadillac Seville. Upon trying to stop the vehicle, a chase ensued, and all four occupants bailed out in the rear of the 2800 block of Bookert. Harvey was chased by an officer who saw him toss a fully loaded 9mm .357 handgun. Officers also recovered from the vehicle: a box containing 39 rounds of .38 special ammunition; a plastic bag containing 33 rounds of 9mm ammunition; a ski mask; and a glove.

According to Harvey’s plea agreement, the green Cadillac Seville was stolen late on January 27, 2011, after the victim was approached by three men as he was filling the vehicle at a gas station at North Avenue and McCulloh Street, in Baltimore City. After giving the three men a ride, the victim was ordered out of the vehicle at gunpoint in the 1800 block of Eutaw Place, where he was shot and left for dead.

Throughout the course of Harvey’s involvement in the UDH drug conspiracy Harvey knew that the conspiracy involved between 840 grams and 2.8 kilograms of crack cocaine and between 3 and 10 kilograms of heroin.

Co-defendant Dominic Evans, a/k/a “FlatLine,” age 25, of Baltimore, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the racketeering conspiracy and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the ATF, Baltimore Police Department, and Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Andrea L. Smith, Seema Mittal, and Patricia C. McLane, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.

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