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Rayful Edmond III: Drug Kingpin and 1980s Legend

Hannah McKinney writes:

The United States during the 1980s saw women advancing in the workplace, Madonna emerging as a cultural phenomenon, and big hair becoming even bigger. However, during this surge of cultural and societal change, a devastating epidemic lurked under the surface. Crack cocaine made became popular up the East Coast of the United States, manifesting in major cities across the country.

At the beginning of the decade, powder cocaine was imported from Caribbean countries and as its popularity grew, it became more accessible. In fact, drug dealers started losing money, which prompted the production of cocaine’s counterpart: crack. Crack is a smokable, highly addictive, cheap version of cocaine, and it became the most popular illicit drug in the United States by 1984.

My paper will address the status and impact of crack cocaine in the Washington, D.C. area during the 1980s, and the criminal consequences of those who belonged to this underground system. Homicide rates for inner-city youth more than doubled and drug arrests skyrocketed. Criminal sentencing became ever harsher for crack users and traffickers than their cocaine-peddling counterparts. However, that is a different story.

While it was my original intention to profile a relatively ordinary drug criminal and explain daily life as (s)he knew it, I found it very difficult to pinpoint such a person. Thus, I will be writing a history of this era as it intertwines with the biography of Rayful Edmond III, a drug lord who worked in Washington, D.C. He remains an infamous and essential character in the crack cocaine epidemic as a leader both in and out of federal prisons. He learned from an early age the system of drug dealing and the ways of black market, and he grew to become immensely powerful and wealthy. In fact, at the height of his career, his organization employed about one hundred and fifty people. Young drug runners and community members alike worshiped him, and he was known for driving through the city in luxury vehicles surrounded by his weapon-wielding posse.

However, in 1989, the story changes. Edmond was arrested for a variety of crimes and is subsequently serving two life terms without parole. However, once processed and settled in a federal prison in Pennsylvania, Edmond met two very influential people. The brothers Trujillo, Colombian drug traffickers, supplied crack to many American dealers. In prison, Edmond became the connection between these drug wholesalers and low-level dealers in the Washington area, staying powerful while behind bars. Because of the violence and controversy surrounding this kingpin, Edmond has been placed in the Witness Protection Program and is still alive today.

Many of Edmond’s court proceedings and trial testimonies are easily accessible, as well as those of this acquaintances and family members. More, I am going to attempt to interview those closest to him who are still alive. I will track his race to the top of this crucial moment in American history and see just how influential he was in bringing crack to Washington, D.C. Further, the prison system remains relatively unchanged from its 1980s policies, and I plan to analyze the effects of harsh sentencing on control of the drug trade.

Now comes the tricky part. I am going to use the American Civil Liberties Archives if I can get access. There I will look for policy papers and public statements regarding sentencing and drug use during the 1980s. I hope to find reactions to the epidemic that will speak to the era as a whole, as well as find official documents that may paint a clearer picture of what was going on in the underbelly of our nation’s cities. I am also going to visit Washington National Records housed within the National Archives in Washington, D.C. to find city-specific policies and criminal records from city courts. Finally, I will electronically access the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data to have meaningful statistics and policy information. This may also allow me find and access those closest to Edmond and get in touch with them, as well as help me find others who can fill in the holes of this narrative.

Comments

One Response to “ Rayful Edmond III: Drug Kingpin and 1980s Legend ”

  • Coop

    As a resident that grew up in the closely tied Washington DC community during that era I would like to stay informed on your progress.

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