DAYTON — Earl Marshall, accused by a grand jury of leading Dayton’s largest cocaine-trafficking operation, “has done many outstanding things in our community,” his lawyer said Friday.
Marshall is chief executive officer of Mama’s Boy Records and father of the four young boys who make up the popular rap group, Lil’ Tykes.
He also served as spokesman for the Moreland family, in whose household four young children were killed during the time the grand jury said Marshall and 12 other people were dealing drugs and laundering drug cash.
Eight of the 13 people indicted,
including Marshall, were arraigned Friday.
A grand jury indicted them on charges they conspired to traffic more than 150 kilograms of cocaine and launder more than $120,000 since 1996.
Marshall, 33, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, conspiracy to launder money, and money laundering and aiding and abetting.
He pleaded not guilty to violating the Continuing Criminal Enterprise statute, which requires mandatory life in prison if convicted.
U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose set a Nov. 8 pretrial hearing for Marshall, one of at least four people related to the Moreland family indicted in the drug and money-laundering case.
Marshall’s attorney, Anthony VanNoy, said after the hearing that his client looks forward to going to trial.
“He has done many outstanding things in our community,” he said.
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration resident agent in charge Russell Neville has said Earl Marshall “recruited family members and friends to launder money.”
Tracy Marshall, Earl’s aunt, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana and conspiracy to launder money.
The indictment also alleges Earl Marshall and others owned or leased real property — sometimes in the names of third parties — to use as “stash houses” where money and drugs would be stored, packaged, weighed, cooked and prepared for transport and distribution.
Cecile Marshall, Marshall’s grandmother, pleaded not guilty of conspiracy to launder money, money laundering and aiding and abetting. She was greatgrandmother of all four children, whose deaths remain unsolved. The deaths, from November 1997 through June 1998, were ruled homicides by suffocation. The children were 1 to 3 years old.
The others alleged to be conspirators are Todd Anthony Brown, Kenyatta Moreland, Henry Rayford, Clarence Parker, Lynette Davis, Glen Hurst and Debra Hurst and Kim McGinnis.
Davis, identified as Earl Marshall’s girlfriend, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to launder money.
The Hursts, who operated the brokerage company American Funding Group Inc., and McGinnis, employed at American, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to launder money, money laundering and aiding and abetting.
