BALTIMORE (AP) – It seems Tavon “Bulldog” White is still in control, but this time it’s from the witness stand rather than behind bars.
It’s been more than a year since White pleaded guilty to running a criminal enterprise from within the Baltimore City Detention Center, where prosecutors say he used smuggled cellphones to direct crimes on the streets, oversaw the distribution of narcotics, and impregnated four prison guards who helped him and other jailed Black Guerilla Family gang members operate with impunity.
Now, the man federal investigators authorized tens of thousands of wiretaps to nab is poised to testify as the government’s star witness against the only defendants of the 44 charged who did not accept plea deals: two inmates, five corrections officers and a state employee.
The trial for those defendants began Wednesday with prosecutors and defense attorneys seeming to agree on only one thing: When White takes the stand, his testimony will be crucial.
Prosecutor Robert Harding said Wednesday that corrupt guards allowed the state-run jail to become the undisputed turf of the Black Guerilla Family and White its area commander.