In November 2013, Baltimore police, prosecutor and federal forces unsealed a massive indictment against 48 alleged members of the Black Guerilla Family (BGF). They were accused of running an eight-year drug trafficking campaign, during which 19 homicides were recorded and attributed to the BGF. The feds compiled affidavits of hundreds of pages using wiretaps and other surveillance tactics to bring down the gang that they labeled as “Public Enemy #1.”
One of those included in the indictment is supposed leader of the BGF Gerald “Geezy” Johnson, accused of authorizing two murders, among other charges. According to Baltimore Sun crime reporter Justin Fenton’s Twitter account, Johnson took the stand in his own defense yesterday. He allegedly ordered the murders of Gregory Rochester in 2007 and Moses Malone in May 2013. He is also said to be in a surveillance video where BGF members gathered in East Baltimore to celebrate the killing of a longtime rival, Henry Mills. The Sun gives the story behind that video:
Henry Mills had been a BGF target since the gang started to take over the drug trade along a stretch of Greenmount Avenue years before, and he was suspected of murdering a senior BGF figure, authorities say.
By 2011 Mills’ insistence on running a freelance heroin operation on gang territory was too much to tolerate. A BGF enforcer named David Hunter took on the job, gunning Mills down at Greenmount Avenue and 24th Street, according to police affidavits obtained by the Baltimore Sun.
Apparently, Johnson was a tough capture for law enforcement to make after the mass indictment was announced. They had trouble locating him via wiretap, because he used female associates as buffers between him and anyone trying to get in contact with him. The laws stayed persistent, and eventually found a direct line to Johnson and were able to track him down.
Johnson pleaded not guilty. According to the tweets, he claims to be a party promoter that helped the BGF throw a welcome home party for a recently released member. The tweets also say that Johnson was ratted out by one of his co-defendants. Check them out below:
Alleged Black Guerrilla Family leader Gerald “Geezy” Johnson just took the stand in his own defense at trial for authorizing 2 murders..
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) September 29, 2015
Johnson denied involvement in the murders; said he is a party promoter and had helped the gang with a “welcome home” party for other member — Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) September 29, 2015
Explaining a pic of him & 2 men he says are BGF wearing gorilla t-shirts, he said they bought them outside “Planet of the Apes” movie..
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) September 29, 2015
Awkward moment when prosecutor asked how Johnson knew certain woman. Hooked up; he said. How long? “About 30 min, an hour” — Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) September 29, 2015
Judge Sfekas had to cover his mouth to conceal smile
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) September 29, 2015
Earlier in the trial, one of the 47 co-defendants in the sprawling 2013 case testified against Johnson. — Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) September 29, 2015
Read here about the assassination of Black Guerilla Family pioneer Hugo “Yogi” Pinell.
