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Recent unsealed court records have provided new insights into the long-term investigation of Kenneth Ravenell, an authoritative attorney in Baltimore, who is currently on trial for racketeering and money laundering in the U.S. District Court.

A search warrant against the Ravenell law firm in 2014 revealed that the Drug Enforcement Agency had a partner in Richard Byrd's drug organization. Ravenell was a long-term customer of Ravenell, who sold marijuana across the country.

The collaborator is Lamont Wanzer, an old friend and business partner of "Just a Friend" rapper Biz Markie. Wanzer did not specify his name in the search warrant affidavit, but in the transcribed dialogue, he was repeatedly referred to as "Monty", which was his nickname, and was asked about the company BizMont, which he runs with Biz Markie.

Wanzer and Byrd run a marketing and events company called Loc Marketing, and Byrd confirmed last week that the company is the front line of money laundering Byrd's drug proceeds.

Markie was not involved in this criminal case. He died of complications from diabetes in a Baltimore hospital in July last year.

Wanzer died in November 2014 at the age of 45, when a relative described it on Facebook as a long-term battle with cancer. It is not clear whether his death led to the five-year gap between the prosecutor’s raid on Ravennell’s office and their final charges.

Bird later discovered that Wan Ze was recording his conversation.

"Lamont Wanzer has been attending those meetings. There are many s --- the government has picked up things that they may not be able to use now," Bird said in a 2018 recording meeting with Ravenell's lawyers, referring to Wanzer's death.

During this period, prosecutors continued their efforts to get convicted members of the drug organization to cooperate with Ravenell and successfully overthrew at least four people who testified in the lawyer's trial, including Bird. Another convicted co-conspirator who was released from prison agreed to testify with partial immunity and made his position on Monday.

Ravenell pleaded not guilty to racketeering, money laundering and obstruction of justice. His lawyer told the jurors that he did not deliberately accept drug proceeds, and that other actions he took for the Byrd organization were part of his work as a defense attorney.

The prosecutor called Ravennell’s 20-year assistant Deborah Ness to testify about Byrd’s money flowing through Ravennell’s law firm, but she testified on Monday that she had learned from Never seen him do any wrongdoing

"He is a very honest, diligent, and wholehearted Christian who serves all his clients, and I respect him very much," Nath said during cross-examination.

An 83-page search warrant against Ravenell's then office in 2014 listed the information collected by law enforcement at the time and its efforts to connect Ravenell with drug organizations. It will not end in charges until 2019. This includes financial transactions flowing through Ravennell's law firm.

DEA task force officer David Phillips wrote in a search warrant on August 26, 2014 that the collaborator-now known as Wanzer-began recording conversations with members of the Byrd organization in May 2013. Bird was indicted in April 2014 and is serving 26 years in prison.

Phillips wrote that the collaborator “has a first-hand understanding of Loc Marketing’s business dealings and practices” and he once told Phillips, “Byrd [drug organization] uses Loc Marketing to cleanse [he] believes that a large amount of currency is drug sales. Income."

Phillips wrote that he believed that “Ravennell’s relationship with Bird was so great that Ravennell knew that his client was involved in the drug business.”

Wanzer recorded multiple conversations, including at least two conversations with Ravenell as described by Philips in the search warrant.

Wanzer has repeatedly expressed disappointment with Loc Marketing's fund management, saying that Byrd was not cautious enough and was drawing the attention of the authorities-once causing Wanzer's bank account to be closed.

A recording of a call between Wanzer and Ravenell occurred in June 2014, when Wanzer was recovering from cancer-related surgery in a hospital bed.

"I don't understand. I keep telling them, just like you have to let me know. You just can't do that," Wanzer told Ravenell on June 17, 2014, referring to the funds being used in a way that might raise suspicion. Remit from the company account.

"Where did the money go?" Ravennell asked.

"Some of it was given to you. Or Murphy, Falcon, etc.," Wan Ze said.

Ravenell criticized the way Loc Marketing used its funds, but did not appear to make any guilty statements about the mixed drug funds.

"I saw these contracts, and you paid all this money to these artists. If you paid all this money to the artists but didn't make any money... then you are too stupid," Ravennell in 2014 Told Wanzer on a conference call in June 2015. "I mean, daddy, and everyone else, you gave them a lot of money, so if you pay all of this money, it will be the most serious money laundering. You give all the money to someone else. "

In the conversation recorded by Wanzer, someone discussed the need to organize paperwork with Ravenell and Edward Leyden, an attorney who specializes in accounting in Maryland.

Leiden participated in meetings with members of the conspiracy and was taped several times, but was not charged in the case. Leiden declined to comment last week and referred the question to a lawyer who did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

According to the testimony of the Ravennell trial, several members of the drug conspiracy finally pleaded guilty to federal charges, and Assistant U.S. Attorney James Warwick continued to investigate their cooperation.

Jerome Castle of the east coast operations of the drug control organization turned over in April 2016 and testified on Monday.

"[Warwick] said he needs my help, am I willing to help. I said yes," Castle said from the stand.

Bird said that Warwick also wooed him, visited Bird in June 2017, and visited Bird again in August 2017 for three days, when Bird agreed to cooperate. Both said that the prosecutor had applied for a commutation in exchange for their testimony.

Richard Drummond, who helped make money in 2013 and was arrested in Ohio in 2013, testified on Monday under limited immunity.