WILMINGTON, Del. - David C. Weiss, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that Qiydaar Miller, age 34, the leader of a Wilmington-based drug organization, known as the “30th Street Crew," was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 78 months in prison and 4 years supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute heroin, crack cocaine, cocaine, and marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 846.
Miller has been incarcerated since June 13, 2013, when he and eight other 30th Street Crew members were arrested and held without bail, on federal drug trafficking charges. In total, fourteen individuals were ultimately indicted on federal drug trafficking charges in connection with this investigation. Of the eight co-defendants listed on Miller’s indictment, which included Albari Malik Johnson, Tamir Collins, Keenan Williams, Walter Thomas, Ibrahim Sesay, Andre Cephas, Harry Coverdale, and Corey Pendergrass, all but Thomas have pleaded guilty to federal drug charges. Tamir Collins, Miller’s brother was sentenced to six years in jail in April 2014. Other co-defendants are now serving jail terms of between two and four years.
According to court documents, following a nearly five month wire-tap investigation, law enforcement identified and dismantled the 30th Street Crew, which was led by Miller and Collins, and which was a dominant drug trafficking organization throughout Wilmington, with their center of operations located in the northside of Wilmington. The 30th Street Crew used a residence at 3000 N. Madison Street, Wilmington - situated just blocks away from P.S. DuPont Middle School - as its headquarters for many years. That house served as a retail center for drug distribution, with a regular influx of customers and sub-distributors arriving to make drug purchases from conspiracy members. The house was also a target of violence, including at least two shootings which occurred outside the residence in November and December 2011.
Law enforcement further determined that Johnson regularly received shipments of heroin from a New York-based source, and then distributed the heroin to Miller and other co-conspirators. Miller ultimately admitted to being responsible for the distribution of at least 700 grams of heroin. Miller was also responsible for the sale of cocaine and crack cocaine - purchasing as much as kilogram of cocaine at a time, which he and his co-conspirators would “break down" into smaller, distribution quantities for further sale.
The Indictment and arrests of these individuals was the product of a long-term investigation into the drug-trafficking organization, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Wilmington Police Department, and the State of Delaware Department of Corrections Division of Probation and Parole. Critical support for the investigation and arrests was provided by Delaware State Police, Delaware Division of Gaming Enforcement, New Castle County Police Department, United States Marshals Service, and the United States Department of Agriculture.
Acting United States Attorney David C. Weiss thanked the federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies for their participation in this investigation, and stated, “This investigation dismantled a large-scale, violent drug trafficking organization that had heretofore operated with near-impunity on the streets of Wilmington."
“Street violence has become a normal way of life for many people living in Wilmington. These career criminals are holding communities hostage, and gang members think they can keep beating the system. But not anymore," said Steve Vogt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Division which covers Delaware. “This case and others to follow will show these violent offenders that we are not going away."
The case was being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ilana Eisenstein and Jamie M. McCall, District of Delaware. For further information, please contact AUSA McCall at 302-573-6079 or AUSA Eisenstein at 302-573-6082.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
