BALTIMORE, Maryland – Calvin Ignatius Savoy, 29, of Severn, Maryland, has been sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in a crack cocaine distribution conspiracy and the use of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, which included shooting an Anne Arundel County police officer. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. U.S. District Judge Andre M. Davis imposed the life sentence on Savoy for the cocaine distribution conspiracy, a mandatory sentence due to Savoy’s three prior narcotics convictions. Judge Davis further sentenced Savoy to an additional 10 years, to be served consecutively to the life sentence, for discharging a firearm in connection with the shooting of the police officer.
Acknowledging the mandatory nature of the life sentence plus ten years due to the defendant’s criminal history, Judge Davis stated, “I have little doubt that a life sentence in this case is appropriate. The cold blooded shooting of an officer in front of scores of witnesses with total disregard of anything… reflects a depravity this community cannot tolerate, ever.”
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commented, “Despite being only 29 years old, Calvin Savoy will spend the remainder of his life in federal prison for distributing crack cocaine. This case should serve as a strong warning to anyone contemplating dealing drugs in Maryland, particularly in communities like Pioneer City Md.”
Trial evidence presented over eight days in October 2006 revealed that from 2002 to September 2005, Savoy and his accomplices, identifying themselves as the Pioneer Boys gang, utilized residences on Arwell Court, Pioneer Drive, and other locations within the area known as Pioneer City in Severn, Maryland, to package and store cocaine and crack cocaine for street-level sales. Drug operations also extended into Still Meadows and Meade Village. The Pioneer Boys gang engaged in territorial marking, “tagging” walls, streets, and mailboxes to discourage residents from cooperating with law enforcement. They also employed violence against rival drug dealers in public settings to further intimidate potential police informants within the community. These activities significantly impacted the safety and security of Pioneer City MD residents.
Testimony further established that Savoy, identified as a crack dealer operating within Pioneer City MD, shot Anne Arundel County Police Officer William Hicks in the arm on September 11, 2004, in the 1600 block of Annapolis Road in Odenton. Officer Hicks has since returned to full duty.
Savoy’s co-defendants and fellow Pioneer Boys gang members, including Lowell Joseph Braswell, 22, of LaPlata; Tony Maurice Horne, Jr., 25, of Glen Burnie; Laronte Lee Richardson, 20, of Baltimore; Troemaine Herbert Storey, 27, of Glen Burnie; Paul Eugene Turner, Jr., 31, of Severn; and Jerome Otto Waters, Jr., 26, of Annapolis, all entered guilty pleas to cocaine and crack cocaine conspiracy charges. Their involvement highlights the widespread nature of the drug problem affecting areas like Pioneer City MD.
United States Attorney Rosenstein expressed his gratitude for the investigative efforts of the federal task force, which comprised the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and the Annapolis Police Department. He also commended Assistant United States Attorney Andrea L. Smith and Anne Arundel County Assistant State’s Attorney M. Virginia Miles for their successful prosecution of the case, ensuring justice for the community of Pioneer City MD and surrounding areas.
