Former Washington D.C. drug lord Rayful Edmund III reportedly died in a Florida halfway house Tuesday. He was 60 years old. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Edmund was transferred from custody to a halfway house in July, according to FOX 5. His cause of death has not been released yet.
Edmond was known for controlling a large majority of Washington D.C.'s crack-cocaine drug scene during the 80s, becoming known as the "king of cocaine."
Edmond was arrested in 1989 for operating a criminal enterprise. He reigned in D.C.'s drug trade when crack cocaine was introduced to the United States. His operation reportedly brought in $300 million per year. During Edmond's era, Washington D.C. earned the reputation for being the "Murder Capital of the U.S."—in 1989, the year he was indicted, D.C. had 462 murders, many of which were reportedly attributed to the impact of the drug trade. It's reported that at least 30 murders were connected to the 60-year-old's former drug operation.
Early on in his incarceration, Edmond was investigated and indicted for his involvement with an international drug operation from prison. Edmond was reportedly a cellmate with a member of the infamous Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar's [Medellin] cartel. The former D.C. kingpin reportedly used prison phones to help direct Escobar's Colombian cocaine into D.C. Yet, he received a sentence reduction after providing federal evidence—his testimony provided information on the Cali and Medellin cartel operations in the U.S. According to The Independent, "he entered the witness protection program and was transferred to a different facility under an alias," after becoming a prison informant.
Eric Holder, former Attorney General of the United States, stated, "At its maximum, he was doing about 400 kilograms of cocaine per month while in prison, and while on the street, he was doing about 300 at its maximum."
Edmond served over 35 years in federal prison. According to FOX 5, his attorney, Jason Downs, said, "We believe that Mr. Edmond has served and paid his debt to society," upon his transfer of custody in July.
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