ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Over 300 law enforcement agents and officers executed a coordinated takedown today, arresting 28 individuals for their respective roles in selling drugs while armed or other firearm related criminal acts.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began Operation Tin Panda in the Spring of 2017. In collaboration with the DEA, U.S. Postal Inspector’s Service, U.S. Marshal's Service, the Prince William County Police Department, Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, Fairfax County Police Department, Alexandria Police Department, Stafford County Sherriff’s Office, Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, King George County Sheriff’s Office, Prince George’s County Police Department, Maryland, Metropolitan Police Department, and the District of Columbia, law enforcement investigators and prosecutors from this office began jointly investigating area Blood gangs involved in violent crime and other criminal activity in Northern Virginia. Multiple criminal acts were tied to gang and drug activity, including, but not limited to, homicide, malicious wounding, robbery, shootings, and drug and firearms distribution. During the course of this investigation, more than 30 individuals throughout Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and California, who were illegally selling firearms and controlled substances or were involved in other criminal acts, have been arrested.
Prior to search warrants executed today, Operation Tin Panda resulted in the recovery of over 71 firearms and approximately 1,292 grams of cocaine base, 4,408 grams of cocaine, 23,838 grams of marijuana, 2,152 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 815 grams of heroin, and 36,075 grams of THC. During search warrants executed today, law enforcement seized more firearms, heroin, and other controlled substances.
Twenty-two of the 28 were arrested on federal firearms and drug charges, while the remaining six were arrested on state charges. Please see the included table which lists the name, age, hometown, and respective charge(s) that each federal defendant faces.
Name, Age
Hometown
Charge(s)
Tarvell Vandiver, 29
Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base
Jerry McAllister, 42
Laurel, Maryland
Conspiracy to Distribute 100 grams or more of heroin
Rashourn Niles, 37
Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine
Chennor Bah, 30
Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine
Nasiru Carew, 35
Dale City
Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana
Nathaniel Bruce Cobbold, 27
Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana
Jamar Cox, 30
Hyattsville, Maryland
Use and Carry of Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime
Robert Evans, 27
Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute THC
Deion Wright, 25
Alexandria
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
Kelvin Bennett, 27
Washington, D.C.
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
Cydrick Delrosario, 58
Springfield
Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine
Raheem Kelly, 39
Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 28 grams or more of Cocaine Base
Tayvon Patterson, 24
Elkridge, Maryland
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
Tavon Bailey, 27
District Heights, MD
Felon in Possession of a Firearm
Alpha Kamara, 20
Woodbridge
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
Tavon Ferguson, 24
Triangle
Felon in Possession of a Firearm
Samantha Winter, 22
Culpepper
False Statements During the Purchase of a Firearm
Kaitlin McCabe, 19
Woodbridge
Possession and Unlawful Transfer of a Firearm
Marcus Andrei Harris, 27
Washington, D.C.
Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine, Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime
Teodoro Gonzales, 37
Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 5 Grams or more of Methamphetamine, Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Orean Anthony Hayden, 29
Alexandria
Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime
Frederick Preston Gaarsoe Turner, 36
Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, Possession of Methamphetamine with the Intent to Distribute
Bryan Matthews, 19
Alexandria
Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime
Brandon Edler, 23
Fredericksburg
Conspiracy to Distribute 28 grams or more of Cocaine Base
Anthony Lozada, 18
Woodbridge
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking
Ezana Demisse, 25
Alexandria
Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to Drug Trafficking
Michael Lederer, 31
Woodbridge
Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person
Cory Patterson, 34
Fredericksburg
Conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to Drug Trafficking
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after the federal arrests were made and criminal complaints were unsealed. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carina A. Cuellar and Colleen E. Garcia are prosecuting the case.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Operation Tin Panda. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:17-mj-547 and 1:17-mj-554.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
