(Updated 6/24/2016) Another member of one of Baltimore’s infamous Cherry Hill gangs is facing a long prison sentence on charges of racketeering for activities connected to his membership in the criminal organization.
U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III on June 23 sentenced Cornell Harvey, also known as “Little Head,” to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after the defendant pled guilty to conspiring to participate in a racketeering enterprise for actions he committed as part of the Up Da Hill gang, also known as UDH.
“Disputes between rival drug gangs lead to many shootings and murders in Baltimore City,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein in a statement. “Thanks to a lengthy and intensive investigation, we will hold accountable the criminals who turned Cherry Hill into a war zone.”
In his plea, the 29-year-old Baltimore resident told prosecutors that he was a member of the UDH gang from about 2007 to 2013. The gang has been at war with rival criminal enterprises “Coppin Court” and “Little Spelman.”
As a member of UDH, Harvey said he routinely sold crack cocaine, heroin and other narcotics with other UDH members.
He also admitted that on Oct. 5, 2010, he and co-defendant Dominic Evans robbed two non-UDH members who were selling marijuana in the area, then shot at the victims—wounding one and killing the other. Though the murder was captured on video, a Baltimore City jury acquitted the gang members of the crime.
Also, Harvey admitted that the car in which he and other UDH compatriots were arrested on Jan. 29, 2011 had been stolen from a man, whom they shot and left for dead. While trying to flee police, Harvey discarded a fully-loaded 9-millimeter .357 handgun, which an officer recovered. After searching the car, officers also discovered a box containing 39 rounds of .38 special ammunition, a plastic bag containing 33 rounds of 9-millimeter ammunition, a ski mask and a glove.
Harvey will serve his federal sentence concurrently with two life sentences he received on state charges for an unrelated murder in Cherry Hill, the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.
His co-defendant, 25-year-old Dominic Evans, also known as “FlatLine,” previously pleaded guilty to his role in the racketeering conspiracy and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
