Trenell Murphy Complaint

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF MARYLAND UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CRIMINAL COMPLAINT

v.

TRENELL D. MURPHY ,3041 Presstman Street Baltimore, MD

CASE NUMBER:I~~

0 9 - 0,5 58 BPG"

I, the undersigned complainant, being duly sworn state the following is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief. On or about February 19,2009, defendant(s), TRENELL D. MURPHY, did knowingly, intentionally and unlawfully possess with intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing 5 or more kilograms cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance,'! in violation of21 U.S.c. 9841 iri the District of Maryland in the United States of America. I further state that I a!TIa Task Force Officer of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and . Official Title that this Complaint is based on the following facts: SEE ATTACHED AFFIDAVIT Continued on the attached sheet and made a part hereof: ~

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William Bearde, Task Force Officer Drug Enforcement A:dministration ~ II

Sworn to before me and subscribed in my presence,

Yes

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No

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AFFIDAVIT This affidavit is submitted in support of a criminal complaint charging Trenell D. Murphy (Murphy) with possession with intent to distribute 5 or more kilograms of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation 0[21 U.S.c. S841. Your affiant, Task Force Officer William Bearde (Bearde) has been a duly sworn member of the Baltimore Police Department since 2002. -V6uraffiant is currently assigned a Baltimorearea DEA task force. As such, your affiant is a law enforcement officer of the United States within the meaning of Section 2510(7) of Title 18 of the United States Code, that is, an officer empowered by law to conduct investigations of, and make arrests for, offenses enumerated in Section 2516 of Title 18. During your affiant's tenure as a law enforcement agent, he has effected or participated in the arrest of over five-hundred (500) individuals for criminal narcotics violations. Your affiant has participated in the execution of over 250 search warrants that have targeted violations and violators of Maryland's and the United States' criminal controlled substance laws. The execution of those warrants has resulted in the seizure of a variety of controlh;~ddangerous substances and related paraphernalia to include: crack cocaine, powder cocaine, liquid cocaine, heroin, marijuana, PCP, MDMA, other controlled substances, narcotics paraphernalia, documents, U.S. currency, firearms and other weapons related to drug trafficking. Your affiant is also thereby familiar with both packaging and distribution methods utilized by drug traffickers. Your affiant has attended and successfully completed over 200 hours of specialized training in the field of narcotics law enforcement. Your affiant has testified as an expert in the area of narcotics law enforcement in Maryland's District and Circuit Courts, Maryland's Juvenile Court and the United States District Court for Maryland. What is related below concerns the arrest of Murphy and the law enforcement actions surrounding that arrest. It is based not upon your affiant's observations, but upon his discussion with detectives who have first-hand knowledge of the facts described below. It does not include -l~

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every detail known toyour affiant about the described investigation. During the autumn of2007, detectives of the Baltimore (Maryland) Police Department received information from a confidential informant that an individual he/she knew as "Chuck" was distributing large amounts of cocaine city-wide. The informant further indicated that "Chuck's" base of operations was the west-side of Baltimore, and that "Chuck" resided with his mother in that area. The residence of "Chuck's" mother was identified by the informant 3041 t . 'I

Presstman Street. The detectives subsequently identified "Chuck" as Trenell D. Murphy. During the course of their investigation, the detectives actually saw Murphy going to and from that residence. According to tpose detectives, the confidential informant had a long track record (in excess of one year) of,isupplying accurate information to law enforcement. Information imparted by this confidential informant had been independently corroborated by other informants and by other investigative techniques. For that reason, this confidential informant was considered by the detectives to be reliable. After receiving this information, the detectives were transferred to the east-side of Baltimore, and at that time took no further investigative measures with respect to Murphy. When in early 2009, the detectives were transferred back to the west-side of Ba~timore, they renewed their attention toward Murphy. In the eveningthours of February 19, 2009, detectives set up surveillance in the vicinity of 3041 Presstman Street. Those detectives observed parked alongside 3041 Presstman Street a black Chevy truck bearing MD registration 88V 422. According to Motor Vehicle Administration records that truck was listed to Trenell David Murphy. During the course of their surveillance, the detectives observed Murphy exit from the front door of 3041 Presstman Street and go to the driver's side door of a blue HondaOdyssey minivan which was parked in front of the house. Murphy then re-entered the dwelling through the front door. According to MV A records, that Honda minivan is also registered to Murphy: -2-

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Later that evening, the detectives observed a dark blue colored Honda Accord station wagon park directly in front of 3041 Presstman Street. An unidentified African-American male then exited the car. After knocking on the front door, the unidentified male was allowed to enter the dwelling. Approximately one hour later, the same unidentified male and a second male (later identified as Murphy) ,exited from the front door of 3041 Presstman Street. Each male was carrying a white plastic bag; each of which were tied off at the top and appeared to be full to its capacity. The first male put the bag he was carrying into the dark blue Honda station wagon and the second male put the other bag into the bed of the black Chevy truck. Both then separately J

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drove the vehicles from the area. The black Chevy was followed by detectives to the 1400 block of Ellamont Street where Murphy pulled to the curb, retrieved the white plastic bag from the bed of the truck, and discarded that bag into the gutter. Murphy then re-entered the truck and fled the area at a high rate of speed. Detectives recovered the discarded bag and found it to contain one (1) razor blade with white residue, su$pected cocaine, one (1) Bicycle playing card with white residue, suspected cocaine, and numerous pages of newspaper, dated February 4t\ 2009, with white powder residue, suspected cocaine. The investigating detectives recognized the white powder residue described above as cocaine through its texture and the unique aroma given off by cocaine. The dark blue Bonda Accord station wagon was also followed out of the area by detectives.

As the vehicle traveled through the 800 block of Ellicott Drive the driver discarded

the white plastic bag onto the street, and suddenly accelerated at a high rate of speed. The detectives also recovered that discarded bag, and found it to contain numerous pages of newspaper, dated February 4t\ 2009, with white residue, suspected cocaine, one (1) large silver foil bag with residue, suspected cocaine, and numerous rectangular shaped saran wrap packages and rubber bladders with white residue, suspected cocaine. Your affiant recognizes these items to be consistent with the manner in which kilograms quantities of cocaine are packaged for -3-

Ir09-0558 transportation. ,

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Furthermore it has been the experience of your affiant that individuals involved

in the wholesale distribution of narcotics commonly discard the remnants of their activities at a location remote from the locus of their illegal activity in an attempt .to avoid creating a nexus between their activities and the location where they handle their product. The detectives continued to maintain surveillance on 3041 Presstman Street in contemplation of obtaining search and seizure warrants. In that regard,dui"ing the early morning hours of February 20, 2009, Judge John Hargrove reviewed and authorized a search warrant targeting 3041 Presstman Street. At approximately 1:45 a.m., the detectives executed said search warrant. Upon gaining entry Murphy was taken into custody and advised of his rights per Miranda

VS.

Arizona by Detective Ivo Louvado. Murphy verbally acknowledged understanding

his rights. At that time Murphy related that he had U.S. currency in his room but that there were no narcotics in the house. Detective Craig Jester asked Murphy if he had any vehicles near the around the'house and Murphy stated that he had a Honda Accord minivan parked in front of the house but no other vehicles. Detective Jester asked Murpny directly about the black Chevrolet truck but Murphy denied knowledge of the truck multiple times, even though it was registered in his name. The detectives located keys to the Chevy truck in the room in which they had originally found Murphy. At that point, the detectives observed in the bed of the Chevy truck items that had packaging identical to the packaging that had been recovered in the trash bags earlier discarded by Murphy and the unknown male. The detectives then secured those items, and sought and received a search warrant authorizing the search of the Chevy truck and items found therein. Pursuant to that search warrant, the detectives further searched the items seized from the bed of the Chevy truck and discerned that they in fact contained. approximately forty (40) wrapped kilogram-sized bricks of suspected cocaine, which they recognized through their traini?g and experience') ~~

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Your affiant knows through his training and experience that based on the amount and -4-

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manner in which the seized cocaine was packaged, that the seized cocaine was intended for further distribution. Based on the foregoing, your affiant believes that Trenell D. Murphy possessed with intent to distribute 5 kilograms of cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. 9841. Your affiant, William Bearde, affirms under penalties of perjury that the facts and circumstances recounted in the foregoing affidavit are true and accurate to the best of his knowledge and belief.

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Date

William Bearde, Task Force Officer Drug Enforcement Administration

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