Baltimore, Maryland – United States District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced former Philadelphia Police officer Eric Troy Snell, age 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, today to nine years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine.  On November 1, 2018, after three days of trial, Snell admitted that he conspired with former Baltimore Police Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF) Detective Jemell Rayam and others to sell heroin and cocaine seized by GTTF members. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jennifer L. Moore of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

“The community needs to know that when we have evidence of wrongdoing, we will follow that evidence and prosecute you--whether you wear a badge or not,” said Maryland U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “Prosecuting law enforcement officers is painful, but necessary if we are to restore the public’s trust in our justice system.  No one is above the law.”

According to court documents and statements at his plea hearing today, Snell is a former Baltimore Police Department (BPD) Officer, who received his training at the Baltimore Police Academy with Jemell Rayam, a former Detective with the BPD Gun Trace Task Force.  Snell left the BPD in March 2008, and became an officer in the Philadelphia Police Department on September 29, 2014.

Snell admitted that from at least October 2016 through June 26, 2017, he conspired with Rayam and others to sell heroin and cocaine seized by members of the BPD in Maryland.   On October 3, 2016, GTTF Sergeant Wayne Jenkins, Rayam, and other detectives, engaged in a high-speed police chase of G.H.  G.H. threw nine ounces of cocaine out of the window of his vehicle before crashing near Mondawmin Mall in Baltimore.  The BPD officers retrieved the cocaine and Jenkins told Rayam to sell most of the cocaine and give Jenkins the proceeds of the sale, which Rayam agreed to do. 

On October 18, 2016, after learning about the cocaine from Rayam, Snell asked Rayam to give him the cocaine that was stolen from G.H. and not submitted as evidence to BPD.  Rayam agreed and on October 20, 2016, traveled to Philadelphia to meet Snell at his residence.  Ryam provided the cocaine to Snell, who made arrangements to meet with Snell’s brother, who would sell the cocaine for Snell and Rayam.  Later that day. Snell, Rayam, and Snell’s brother met and discussed: the sale of the cocaine; the price the cocaine should be sold for; the amount of money that Snell’s brother would pay Snell after the sale of the cocaine; and the amount of money that Snell would pay Rayam after the sale of the cocaine.  On October 23, 2018, Rayam and Snell agreed that Rayam would provide Snell with heroin for Snell to sell and distribute.

Snell admitted that he communicated with Rayam on October 27, 2016, to advised that Snell had received “2K” ($2,000) from the sale of illegal drugs and subsequently deposited $1,000 into Rayam’s bank account.  Snell met Rayam several other times to coordinate the drug trafficking and exchange drugs and cash.  Snell admitted that he paid Rayam on subsequent occasions for drug proceeds, including making a $2,500 deposit into Rayam’s bank account.

Following Rayam’s arrest on June 26, 2017, Snell spoke with Rayam on the recorded phone system in place at the jail where Rayam was detained.  Snell instructed Rayam to “say less” on the recorded jail phones so that law enforcement would not detect their illegal drug trafficking.

On November 14, 2017, Snell was arrested and transported to Baltimore for his initial appearance.  During the transport, Snell admitted that he lied to FBI agents when he told them that the payments he made to Rayam were for the repayment of a gambling debt, when in fact, the payments were for drugs he received from Rayam. 

During a search of Snell’s residence on November 14, 2017, law enforcement recovered a box in which Snell stored items containing cocaine residue, next to a package of razor blades that were used to cut and process narcotics for distribution, as well as .40-caliber and 9 mm handgun ammunition.  From the master bedroom, law enforcement recovered Snell’s Philadelphia Police Department service weapon, a 9 mm handgun, as well as a 40-caliber handgun, and two unregistered short-barrel assault rifles.

Snell admits that the amount of narcotics reasonably foreseeable to him in furtherance of the conspiracy is the equivalent of at least 100 kilograms of marijuana.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek E. Hines and Leo J. Wise, who prosecuted these Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force cases.

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Baltimore, Maryland –Former Philadelphia Police officer Eric Troy Snell, age 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine.  Snell admitted that he conspired with former Baltimore Police Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF) Detective Jemell Rayam and others to sell heroin and cocaine seized by GTTF members.  Snell pleaded guilty on the fourth day of his trial, which began on October 29, 2018.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

“The community needs to know that when we have evidence of wrongdoing, we will follow that evidence and prosecute you--whether you wear a badge or not,” said Maryland U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “Prosecuting law enforcement officers is painful, but necessary if we are to restore the public’s trust in our justice system.  No one is above the law.”

“Law enforcement officers are given incredible power to enforce the law and ensure justice. Thwarting abuse of this authority is necessary to protect the rights of our citizens and uphold confidence in law enforcement. Anyone who takes advantage of their position for personal gain or in persistence of criminal misconduct must and will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. 

According to court documents and statements at his plea hearing today, Snell is a former Baltimore Police Department (BPD) Officer, who received his training at the Baltimore Police Academy with Jemell Rayam, a former Detective with the BPD Gun Trace Task Force.  Snell left the BPD in March 2008, and became an officer in the Philadelphia Police Department on September 29, 2014.

Snell admitted that from at least October 2016 through June 26, 2017, he conspired with Rayam and others to sell heroin and cocaine seized by members of the BPD in Maryland.   On October 3, 2016, GTTF Sergeant Wayne Jenkins, Rayam, and other detectives, engaged in a high-speed police chase of G.H.  G.H. threw nine ounces of cocaine out of the window of his vehicle before crashing near Mondawmin Mall in Baltimore.  The BPD officers retrieved the cocaine and Jenkins told Rayam to sell most of the cocaine and give Jenkins the proceeds of the sale, which Rayam agreed to do. 

On October 18, 2016, after learning about the cocaine from Rayam, Snell asked Rayam to give him the cocaine that was stolen from G.H. and not submitted as evidence to BPD.  Rayam agreed and on October 20, 2016, traveled to Philadelphia to meet Snell at his residence.  Ryam provided the cocaine to Snell, who made arrangements to meet with Snell’s brother, who would sell the cocaine for Snell and Rayam.  Later that day. Snell, Rayam, and Snell’s brother met and discussed: the sale of the cocaine; the price the cocaine should be sold for; the amount of money that Snell’s brother would pay Snell after the sale of the cocaine; and the amount of money that Snell would pay Rayam after the sale of the cocaine.  On October 23, 2018, Rayam and Snell agreed that Rayam would provide Snell with heroin for Snell to sell and distribute.

Snell admitted that he communicated with Rayam on October 27, 2016, to advised that Snell had received “2K” ($2,000) from the sale of illegal drugs and subsequently deposited $1,000 into Rayam’s bank account.  Snell met Rayam several other times to coordinate the drug trafficking and exchange drugs and cash.  Snell admitted that he paid Rayam on subsequent occasions for drug proceeds, including making a $2,500 deposit into Rayam’s bank account.

Following Rayam’s arrest on June 26, 2017, Snell spoke with Rayam on the recorded phone system in place at the jail where Rayam was detained.  Snell instructed Rayam to “say less” on the recorded jail phones so that law enforcement would not detect their illegal drug trafficking.

On November 14, 2017, Snell was arrested and transported to Baltimore for his initial appearance.  During the transport, Snell admitted that he lied to FBI agents when he told them that the payments he made to Rayam were for the repayment of a gambling debt, when in fact, the payments were for drugs he received from Rayam. 

During a search of Snell’s residence on November 14, 2017, law enforcement recovered a box in which Snell stored items containing cocaine residue, next to a package of razor blades that were used to cut and process narcotics for distribution, as well as .40-caliber and 9 mm handgun ammunition.  From the master bedroom, law enforcement recovered Snell’s Philadelphia Police Department service weapon, a 9 mm handgun, as well as a 40-caliber handgun, and two unregistered short-barrel assault rifles.

Snell admits that the amount of narcotics reasonably foreseeable to him in furtherance of the conspiracy is the equivalent of at least 100 kilograms of marijuana.

Snell faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.  United States District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for January 30, 2019, at 2:15 p.m.

Jemell Lamar Rayam, age 38, of Owings Mills, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy including multiple robberies, and overtime fraud, and is awaiting sentencing.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek E. Hines and Leo J. Wise, who prosecuted these Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force cases.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          Contact ELIZABETH MORSE

www.justice.gov/usao/md                                                     at (410) 209-4885

 

Baltimore, Maryland – Former Baltimore City Police Officer and current Philadelphia Police Officer Eric Troy Snell, age 33, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was arrested today for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin and Cocaine.  The charges relate to the illegal activities of former members of the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF).  

 

The indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning and Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to court documents, Officer Snell attended the Baltimore City Police Department training academy and was a Baltimore police officer until March 2008. While he was in the academy, Snell met co-conspirator Detective Jemell Rayam. Snell became an officer in the Philadelphia Police Department in September of 2014 and at the time of the indictment, Snell was assigned to the 35th District in the Philadelphia Police Department.

According to the indictment, between October 2016 and June 2017, while Snell was with the Philadelphia Police Department and Rayam was with the Baltimore Police Department, Snell and Rayam discussed and planned with each other the sale of illegal narcotics, including cocaine and heroin that had been obtained or seized by members of the Gun Trace Task Force in Baltimore.

The indictment alleges that or about October 3, 2016, Sergeant Wayne Jenkins, Rayam and detectives in the GTTF, engaged in a high-speed police chase where the driver of the vehicle threw over 9 ounces of cocaine out of the window of his vehicle before crashing his vehicle near Mondawmin Mall in Baltimore, Maryland.  Near the scene of the crash, the officers retrieved the cocaine and Jenkins told Rayam to sell most of the cocaine and give Jenkins proceeds of the sale, which Rayam agreed to do.  On or about October 18, 2016, after learning from Rayam that he had cocaine, Snell asked Rayam to provide him with the stolen cocaine instead of submitting it as evidence to the Baltimore Police Department.  Rayam agreed to do so.

Two days later, Rayam traveled to Philadelphia, and met with Snell at his residence.  Rayam provided the cocaine to Snell and who arrangements to meet with his brother, who was going to sell the drugs.  According to the indictment, Snell, his brother, and Rayam met and Snell provided his brother with the cocaine.  The three men discussed the price at which the cocaine would be sold and the amount of money that Snell and Rayam would receive from the sales.

In addition to the cocaine, court documents allege that Snell also agreed to sell 80 grams of heroin that Rayam had received from Jenkins. 

According to the indictment, Snell deposited thousands of dollars in cash in Rayam’s bank account from the sales of illegal drugs, including counter deposits on October 28, 2016 and November 9, 2016.  Snell also paid Rayam cash from the sales of illegal drugs when he met him on November 11, 2016.

Following Rayam’s arrest, on June 26, 2017, Snell spoke with Rayam on the recorded jail phone system where Rayam was detained.  Snell assured Rayam that his brother had not said anything about their illegal drug trafficking and instructed Rayam to “say less” on the recorded jail phones so that their illegal drug trafficking operation would not be detected by law enforcement.  Snell told Rayam to “stand tall” and said he would “keep an eye” on Rayam’s kids, which Rayam perceived as a threat to harm Rayam’s children if Rayam told authorities about Snell’s illegal drug trafficking.

Snell was arrested this morning at his residence in Philadelphia and had his initial appearance today in federal district court in Baltimore. Snell will remain detained until his detention hearing on November 17, 2017 at 2:15 p.m.

 

Rayam has pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and admitted to multiple robberies, drug trafficking, and overtime fraud. Jenkins has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial beginning January 16, 2018. Snell faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. 

 

An indictment is not a finding of guilt.  An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings. 

 

Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek E. Hines and Leo J. Wise, who are prosecuting these Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force cases.