Gregory Butler, 31, of Baltimore was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to participate in racketeering in connection with his activities in the NFL gang based out of Southwest Baltimore, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Friday.
According to Butler’s guilty plea, he was the leader of the NFL enterprise and took part in multiple illegal activities including drug trafficking.
According to officials, the abbreviation “NFL” stands for Normandy, Franklin and Loudon, three streets that run through Edmondson Village in southwest Baltimore.
Through the NFL drug trafficking organization (“DTO”), gang members would distribute large amounts of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine to customers and re-distributors across Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, officials said.
According to the U.S. State’s Attorney’s Office, Butler admitted to selling heroin and fentanyl to several victims who overdosed and died.
One such instance occurred Aug. 16, 2016, when Butler coordinated a heroin sale to a person in Rockville who ended up fatally overdosing on the drug, according to Montgomery County Police.
Over the course of his time in this conspiracy, Butler and fellow gang members distributed over one kilogram of heroin and more than 280 grams of crack cocaine and more than 400 grams of fentanyl, the U.S. State’s Attorney’s Office said.
Butler also paid NFL members and associates to commit murders for the enterprise, with at least one of the murders carried out by NFL gang members, officials said.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, more than 30 defendants in this case and related cases have pled guilty. Along with Butler, 29 defendants have received a sentence to between time served and 30 years.
Court records did not list attorney information for Butler.
