Howard County Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering, Gun Trafficking

An Elkridge man and known gang member pleaded guilty to charges of racketeering, gun trafficking and firing a weapon to commit a violent crime, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland said Friday.

Giovanni Wright, 22, was a member of the Howard County Bloods since at least 2010, according to his plea agreement, in which he admitted to participating in racketeering conspiracy as a member of the gang’s “Swann” set and “Cut Throat Committee.” Wright reportedly held at least one gang meeting at his residence, in the 6900 block of Ducketts Lane.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Wright pleaded guilty to distributing guns to other gang members, including those who were not allowed to possess them. Law enforcement learned via four court-ordered wiretaps that Wright was providing guns to other Bloods members, according to the plea agreement.

Police found one gun that belonged to Wright at a fellow gang member’s residence, loaded with six rounds, when authorities served a search warrant there, the agreement states.

Two handguns loaded with multiple rounds plus 58 additional rounds of ammunition were found at Wright’s home in Elkridge during a search on May 8, 2013, according to the plea agreement.

At Wright’s home, police also found three red bandanas and images on Wright’s phone depicting him wearing the bandanas, “throwing gang signs, and displaying large quantities of marijuana and liquid codeine, as well as two other yet-unrecovered firearms,” the agreement said.

In addition, Wright admitted that he was the gunman in a drive-by that occurred on Jan.14, 2013, according to court documents. Just after midnight on that date, a Howard County man was targeted at his home after one member of the Bloods accused him of falsely “representing” the gang when the two were students at Howard High School, according to court documents.

The victim reported the shooting immediately to police, according to the report.

Forensic examination identified Wright as the owner of the firearm which discharged bullets in the drive-by shooting, which damaged a vehicle belonging to neighbors, court records show.

The investigation into Wright was part of a racketeering case involving 18 individuals in Howard County who were alleged to have gang affiliations. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Howard County Police Department.

If the court accepts Wright’s plea agreement, he will be sentenced to 18 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 16, 2015.

Related: Alleged Howard County Bloods Members Arrested, Indicted