Overview
- Prosecutors charged five men tied to an alleged drug operation centered on the 500 block of Sheridan Avenue in North Baltimore.
- The five — Omar Gilliam, Derrell Washington Coates, Kevin Harris, Darren Farmer, and Stephen Oliver — face conspiracy counts to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and crack, and Gilliam and Oliver also face gun charges based on prior convictions.
- ATF agents and Baltimore police built the case using confidential informants, more than 15 controlled buys, surveillance, and crime-gun intelligence.
- After months of monitoring, officers arrested four suspects on April 8 and served multiple warrants on Sheridan Avenue and other sites, with a fifth suspect taken into custody the following week.
- Searches recovered several firearms and nearly 400 grams of suspected drugs, and officials say targeting suppliers could bring relief to neighbors who have endured open-air dealing for years.