Man Gets Federal Charges for Historic 40-Kilo Coke Bust Next to Kevin Liles Drive

Mobtown Beat

Chris Landers

The corner house on Presstman Street where police made a huge cocaine bust last week.

By Van Smith | Posted 2/23/2009

Trenell David Murphy, a 33-year-old Baltimore man, was charged in federal court on Feb. 20 in connection with what has been touted by the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) as the biggest coke bust in its history. The location of the bust, on the 3000 block of Presstman Street in West Baltimore, is one block west of Kevin Liles Drive, so named in 2005 by then-mayor Martin O'Malley to honor Liles, the executive vice president of Warner Music Group. Liles, who grew up on the 2900 block of Presstman Street, is promoted as a model of success for youngsters growing up on the hard streets of Baltimore.

According to the five-page complaint against Murphy (see document below), the case was made by detectives who had resumed surveillance of Murphy's activities only hours before the bust at 3041 Presstman St. in West Baltimore. Their prior investigation of Murphy, which had led them in late 2007 to suspect that he was involved in city-wide cocaine trafficking, ended shortly after it began when the detectives assigned to the case were abruptly transferred to other duties in East Baltimore.

The detectives returned to the west side in early 2009, and on the evening of Feb. 19, they picked up where they left off by taking a new look at Murphy and the Presstman Street house, the complaint says. What they observed very quickly resulted in a warrant, and at 1:45 a.m. on Feb. 20, they came through Murphy's door.

After taking Murphy into custody, the detectives searched his black Chevrolet truck parked outside the house and in its bed found "approximately forty (40) wrapped kilogram-sized bricks of suspected cocaine," the complaint states, which also describes them as being wrapped in newspaper.

Later that day, BPD Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld staged a press conference to exhibit the seized drugs, which were no longer wrapped in newspaper. He said the drugs comprised the largest cocaine haul in the department's history, with a value of $2 million to $3 million. Though he said one man had been arrested, he did not disclose Murphy's name nor give the location where the drugs were seized due to the fact that the investigation was ongoing. That information was disclosed in the federal charging papers against Murphy, which came publicly available this morning.

On Feb. 22, City Paper visited Murphy's Presstman Street residence, and spoke briefly with a woman who answered the door and stated that "I'm not supposed to talk to you." Directly across the street from the house is a flashing Baltimore Police Department blue-light camera, a device meant to serve as an investigative tool and deterrent to crime.

The house where Murphy was arrested is one block west of Kevin Liles Drive. Liles, whom O'Malley also appointed last year as a trustee of the state's SEED School, a public boarding school, founded the Kevin Liles for a Better Baltimore Foundation in 2003. The nonprofit seeks to help young Baltimoreans "build ambition, self-esteem, and character," according to its mission statement. His book, Make It Happen: The Hip Hop Generation Guide to Success, "provides clear-sighted advice that stresses determination, hard work, and being true to your dream," according to Lile's blog .

Last year, City Paper reported that Liles was co-producer with LaVern Whitt of Women in Power, a documentary-in-progress about the four highest elected officials in Baltimore City. Whitt's business partner in another venture, a seminar program for kids interested in entertainment careers, called Hollywood in a Bottle, was charged in a federal cocaine conspiracy last year. That man, Lawrence Reeves, has since pleaded guilty to dealing more than 330 pounds of cocaine and is awaiting sentencing.

City Paper asked Liles comment about the fact that the BPD's largest-ever coke bust happened one block away from the Baltimore street named after him. The message, left through his New York accountant, was not returned in time for publication.

Baltimore Police Department spokesman Anthony Gugliemi, reached this morning, said "the complaint speaks for itself."

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Maryland has not yet responded to inquiries about the case against Murphy as of press time.

Trenell Murphy Complaint

Mobtown Beat archives

More from Van Smith

Runaway Trainman (2/3/2010)
Would-be Cockeysville railroader wins appeals and keeps on dreaming

Feb. 2, 2000 (2/2/2010)

Baltimore City Councilwomen Middleton and Welch Haven't Filed Campaign-Finance Reports (2/1/2010)

Related by keywords

Defendant in Historic 41-Kilo Coke Bust Gets 20 Years in Jail in The News Hole 10/2/2009

OK, But It's Probably Like the Third-Biggest Drug Bust Ever. At Least. in The News Hole 2/20/2009

Tags: Kevin Liles, cocaine bust

TheBigOne

2 comments.

Member since 2/25/2009

What does this story have to do with Kevin Liles? This is a candidate for irresponsible story of the month.

Posted 2.25.2009 2:02 PM

b1withbill

6 comments.

Member since 10/12/2006

"This is a candidate for irresponsible story of the month."

I couldn't agree more. This is ridiculously bad journalism.

Posted 3.26.2009 7:36 AM

Amadeo

115 comments.

Member since 4/10/2008

SIGH

1) The juxtaposition of who Liles is in reference to Baltimore and the biggest cocaine bust in BCPD history happening a block away from a street named for him.

2) He co-produced a film with someone who's business partner was recently charged in a federal cocaine conspiracy.

What's irresponsible about that? The largest cocaine bust in the city's history happening a block from a street named for a man who founded the Better Baltimore Foundation - If he had gotten a comment through and said that incidents like this are why he started his foundation would it still be irresponsible? Is it irresponsible just because there is no comment from Liles?

Posted 3.26.2009 10:29 AM

b1withbill

6 comments.

Member since 10/12/2006

It's irresponsible because all of the associations you list are completely circumstantial. Kevin Liles has no direct impact on any of the events that took place in this story. There was no comment needed from Liles because there is nothing for him to comment on. The implicit association between Liles and this arrest is specious, at best. Why should anyone feel they need a response from Liles? By these standards, the reporter should be soliciting commentary from Kevin Bacon.

Posted 3.28.2009 9:28 AM

Amadeo

115 comments.

Member since 4/10/2008

Seeing as how Liles lived a block away from the bust and has started and oganization for young people while at the same time he is held up as a positive example for young people it was not irresponsible. Instead of just announcing this large bust they have also mentioned a successful person who now has an organization that is dedicated to helping young people. Why not mention it? It would be like writing an article about a junkie who lives a block away from someone who has started a recovery clinic. Why wouldn't you mention the clinic and the person who started it? Why curse the darkness and not shine some light?

Posted 3.28.2009 10:20 AM

b1withbill

6 comments.

Member since 10/12/2006

The next violent crime that happens within a couple blocks of MLK Blvd should then require a comment from the King Center?

To quote your condescension... "SIGH"!

Posted 3.28.2009 10:43 AM

Amadeo

115 comments.

Member since 4/10/2008

Using an inflated example really makes no point. Especially when your original point was that it was irresponsible and your current defense is just saying that it's needless.

Posted 3.28.2009 5:58 PM

Charles

416 comments.

Member since 1/11/2007

You made a vailid point b1withbill, Amadeo is now just sowing sour grapes for being shown as a hypocrite.

Posted 3.29.2009 8:36 AM

Amadeo

115 comments.

Member since 4/10/2008

Thanks for being so forcefully wrong Charles. The point would have been valid if something had happened a block from where King grew up...then getting a statement from the King center would have made sense. However, since there is an MLK Blvd in several cities it's not as relevant. Sowing sour grapes would have been if I stated Liles was involved in drug dealing...seeing as how I did the opposite your comment is just flaming.

Posted 3.29.2009 6:53 PM

Charles

416 comments.

Member since 1/11/2007

Dope, now you are spliting hairs. Give it up, b1withbill turned your reasoning back on you and you don't like it.

This article was badly written and is actually yellow journalism.

Posted 3.30.2009 7:10 AM

Amadeo

115 comments.

Member since 4/10/2008

No, I'm not. I'm using logic. The article has clear lines of contact the example b1withbill used does not. Like has nothing to do with it, I disagree...it happens alot on the internet. If anyone feels some way about it it would seem to be you, judging by the insults you've thrown around.

Posted 3.30.2009 3:03 PM

Charles

416 comments.

Member since 1/11/2007

The article has clear lines? Just look at the title of the article, that alone shows a bias and is misleading. biwithbill has a good point, using your logic if every murder that happen with the block of Mt Hope Drive, than every article about those murders can be titled "Murder next to NAACP Headquarters". What do you think the good people at the NAACP would say to that if that title would appear in the paper a couple times a month?

Posted 3.30.2009 5:37 PM

Amadeo

115 comments.

Member since 4/10/2008

Yes it does. First, this isn't "THE" article about the drug bust. If anything it's just a perspective article. I'm sure there have been plenty of arrests around this area before. This bust was HISTORIC not just some random arrest or murder. The perspective is simple. Biggest drug bust ever vs. Successful man from the area. An event and a person who are individually news worthy in themselves with a history that can be covered (from the perspective of this city) in the distance of a block. In fact if it had been a murder that close to the NAACP it probably would have gotten an off hand mention. If it had been a historic crime there would certainly have been mention considering the opposing nature of the event, the entity in question and their proximity. As I said in my first comment: juxtaposition. Obviously not too many people think much of it considering the massive backlash of three online commenters in more than a month.

Posted 3.31.2009 11:19 AM

Charles

416 comments.

Member since 1/11/2007

It's not like CP online has a massive viewership and if you want to compare the number of people who commented against this article and those for who support, right now it's 3 to 1. You are in the minority (with only 25% in support), 75% thinks this article is a piece of crap.

Now I waiting for you to post under a different name to inflate your numbers, which wouldn't be a surprise here in Baltimore (voter fraud and all, you know).

Posted 3.31.2009 12:06 PM

Amadeo

115 comments.

Member since 4/10/2008

I'd have to disagree with that statement consider City Paper and The Examiner both existed off of Ad Revenue...and only one of them is still in print. I never post under any other name, I don't find solace in approval from others. Thanks for changing the topic though.

Posted 3.31.2009 12:11 PM