Sykesville Man One of 22 Gang Members Indicted in Federal Court

A federal grand jury has charged 22 defendants, including a man from Sykesville, with conspiracy to participate in a violent racketeering enterprise known as the Dead Man Incorporated, according to a U.S. State Attorney's Office press release.

Michael Forame, also known as "Skinny Pimp," 40, of Sykesville is charged as a member of DMI, created originally in 2000 as a prison gang in Maryland.

The indictment alleges that all 22 defendants conspired to conduct the affairs of DMI through a pattern of criminal activity including murder and threats to commit murder, armed robbery, drug trafficking and extortion, according to the release.

The defendants are alleged to have smuggled drugs, tobacco, cell phones and other contraband into prisons, by concealing them on the persons of visitors to the prisons. Twenty-one of the defendants are charged with conspiring to distribute cocaine, crack, oxycodone, Suboxone, heroin and marijuana.

"Today's indictments are a major step forward in protecting the public's safety and increasing collaboration among law enforcement agencies," said Gov. Matin O'Malley in a statement. "Thanks to the efforts of our federal, state and local partners, these individuals will be brought to justice." 

According to the 27 count indictment, 18 men and four women are members and associates of the DMI. From the beginning, defendant Perry Roark was the "Supreme Commander." Also at its inception and for several years thereafter, DMI was closely allied to the Black Guerilla Family, another prison gang.

By 2006, DMI expanded its membership by recruiting members outside prison, including women, according to the release.

"This investigation was extremely challenging, not just from the level of organization DMI displays, but the level of violence that this indictment alleges," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely.  

"But the investigators and attorneys that formed this task force were even better organized and over a three year period, left department insignia at the door and leveraged almost every investigative tool available to stem the flow of violence allegedly committed by this group," he said.

Specific acts of violence alleged in the indictment include four murders in Maryland, as follows: the February 16, 2009 murder of James Flanary; the June 2, 2009 murder of Tony Geiger; the September 18, 2009 murder of Eugene Chambers; and the September 19, 2009 murder of Walter Milewski, according to the release.

The following defendants are charged in the indictment:

• Perry Roark, aka Rock, "Pops," "Slim," "Saho the Ghost," age 42.
• James Sweeney, age 34.
• Nicky Cash, aka "Mom," age 46, of Baltimore.
• George Treas, aka "Georgie," "Fat Boy," age 28, of Baltimore.
• Dane Shives, age 22.
• Michael Quinn, aka "Mikey," age 28.
• Michael Forame, aka "Skinny," "Skinny Pimp," age 40, of Sykesville, Md.
• Brian Mitchell, aka "Carlito," age 40.
• Richard Ingram, aka "Ricky," "Hades," age 45.
• Timothy Mixter, aka "Fuhrer," age 35, of Essex, Md.
• John Henry Adams, aka "L.J.," "Little Johnny," age 25.
• Gregory Cook, age 36.
• Jeremy Ridgeway, aka "J-Rock," age 22.
• John Zion, aka "John John," age 27.
• Russell Hartman, aka "Busy," age 29, of Baltimore.
• Bonnie Rice, age 35, of Baltimore.
• Kelly Witter, age 26.
• Charles Gray, aka "Bud," "Budrow," age 31.
• Edward Mueller, aka "Dusty," age 31, of Baltimore.
• Melanie Holquist, age 28, of Baltimore.
• Scott Jarriel, aka "Scotty J.," age 28.
• Gary Horton, age 26.

All of the defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison on the racketeering conspiracy. All but one defendant, Gary Horton, also faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison on the drug conspiracy, according to the release.

Roark, Adams, Mitchell, Forame, Mueller, Treas, Mixter, Ingram, Hartman and Zion face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit murder and/or an assault in aid of racketeering.
 
Roark, Adams, Mitchell, Gray, Forame, Jarriel and Mueller face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon resulting in serious bodily injury. Cash and Holquist face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for being accessories after the fact of an assault; Witter, Holquist, Zion, Mixter and Treas face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for distributing drugs; and Treas and Mixter face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a gun, according to the release.
 
Initial appearances for the defendants began Wednesday morning in U.S. District Court in Baltimore.