‘LA Dank DMV’ Crew Leader Sentenced for Sophisticated High-Grade Marijuana Distribution Conspiracy

            WASHINGTON –Abubakr Banire, 27, of Washington D.C, was sentenced today to 111 months in prison for leading the “LA Dank DMV Crew,” a sophisticated drug trafficking conspiracy that was responsible for bringing hundreds of pounds of high-grade marijuana from California to the metropolitan area, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.

            Banire, aka “Swave,” pleaded guilty on September 29, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute marijuana; unlawful possession of a machine gun; unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

            In addition to the 111-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Banire to serve three years of supervised release. As part of Banire’s guilty plea, he admitted to operating as a leader of the drug distribution conspiracy.

           As part of their distribution scheme, members of the crew relied heavily on mass marketing through three dedicated LA Dank websites, as well as social media platforms like Instagram where individual crew members would advertise the LA Dank brand and LA Dank branded marijuana for sale. Crew members also used rental properties to set up stash houses or points of sale that were used to conduct drug distribution operations for a short period of time before moving on to different locations. 

           The crew is known, and was found to possess numerous firearms, including semi-automatic and fully automatic machine guns, and devices used to convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic machine guns. Certain members of the crew also plead guilty to the possession of firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking operations. In total, approximately 122 pounds of marijuana, 19 firearms, and 10 machine gun conversion devices were recovered.  Three of these nineteen firearms were discovered to be operational machine guns that had been modified with machinegun conversion devices. Seven of these machine gun conversion devices were found in an “LA Dank” branded bag. Two of these firearms were privately made AR-pistol style machine guns, sometimes referred to as “ghost guns.”

           Ledgers and receipts show that the crew trafficked well over 100 kilograms of marijuana into the DMV area for distribution.

           This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Department, and Anne Arundel County Police Department.

	LA DANK DMV
Defendant		Sentence
Abubakr Banire, aka “Swave,” of Los Angeles, CA	Pleaded guilty September 29, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute marijuana; unlawful possession of a machine gun; unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.	Sentenced Jan. 27, 2025, to 111 months in federal prison.
Christopher Akinduro aka “Oshay,” of Upper Marlboro, MD	Pleaded guilty October 3, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilos or more of marijuana.	Sentenced Jan. 17. 2024, to 74 months in federal prison.
Issac Akinduro, aka “Black,” of Washington D.C.	Pleaded guilty October 11, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilos or more of marijuana.	Sentenced March 14, 2024, to 41 months in federal prison.
Kavon Duncan, aka “Babyk,” of Upper Marlboro, MD	Pleaded guilty October 3, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilos or more of marijuana and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.	Sentenced Jan 26, 2024, to 71 months in federal prison.
Avery Bost, aka “Avenue” and “Left,” of Brandywine, MD	Pleaded guilty October 27, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute marijuana.	Sentenced May 22, 2024, to 37 months in federal prison.
Joe Blyther, aka “Hawk,” of Bowie, MD	Pleaded guilty November 8, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute marijuana; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; possession of a machine gun; and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.	Sentenced May 22, 2024, to 120 months in federal prison.
Randall Lance, aka “Mike Lambo,” of Washington D.C.	Pleaded guilty May 23, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana.	Sentenced Oct. 10, 2023, to 63 months in federal prison.
Omar Butler, aka “O,” of Washington D.C.	Pleaded guilty Nov. 3, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute marijuana.	Sentenced March 4, 2024, to 18 months in federal prison.

            This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin F. Song and Meredith E. Mayer-Dempsey of the Federal Major Crimes Section and Thomas Strong of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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