1980s Kingpin Rayful Edmond III Dies In Federal Custody

He was living at a halfway house in Florida after being transferred to "community confinement" in August

Once dubbed the “king of cocaine” in Washington, D.C., former drug dealer Rayful Edmond III, 60, has recently died.

According to WUSA, the Bureau of Prisons confirmed on Dec. 17 that the former drug kingpin died in federal custody. He was living at a halfway house in Florida after being transferred to “community confinement” in August. The 60-year-old was known for being a major drug dealer in D.C. during the crack era in the 1980s. It’s believed that he controlled about a third of the cocaine trade during that time.

Details of the cause of death have not been revealed.

A Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesperson confirmed Edmond’s transfer earlier this summer.

“We can confirm that Rayful Edmond III was transferred (not released) on July 31, 2024, to community confinement overseen by the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Nashville Residential Reentry Management Office,” said Scott Taylor.

Emond was arrested in 1989 after being accused of running a vast drug distribution network. It was reported that the operation he ran moved up to 1,700 pounds of cocaine monthly, which generated upwards of millions every week. At the time, Edmond was well-known in D.C. for his lavish lifestyle. He sponsored local basketball tournaments and was seen at high-profile boxing matches in Las Vegas.

According to The Associated Press, he was sentenced to life without parole and sent to a maximum-security prison in Pennsylvania. After discovering that he was still involved in a drug distribution network from inside the prison, he was hit with an additional 30-year sentence.

While imprisoned, he started to cooperate with the feds. Through his cooperation, federal prosecutors placed a motion to reduce his life sentence since he was credited with helping place dozens of other drug dealers in prison. He also helped break up other drug distribution rings through his assistance and even taught prison authorities how to better control the trafficking inside the prison system.

He served more than 35 years in federal custody.