After spending much of his adult life as a shadowy participant in many of Detroit's largest drug operations, Sylvester Murray was targeted as one of the main targets of a federal indictment aimed at the leadership of the notorious Young Boys Inc., drug gang which dominated the streets of Detroit for nearly 5 years untill the December 1982 indictment came down. At the time of the indictment, Young Boys was responsible for an estimated 25 to 30% of Detroit's drug traffic. This equated to sales of of $7,500,000 a week for the pioneering group. Investigators lauded the December 7th capture of Seal as a major blow to the organization as he was the gangs primary supplier and a key component in the movement of funds for the gangs leaders. Murray was also the key link between Young Boys and the Davis Family who were responsible for securing the product through there international contacts. During the height of the Young Boys operation, Seal provided the gang with 3 kilos of pure heroin a week at a cost of $600,000. Y.B.I., operatives then would dilute the heroin down to purity levels of 2 to 3% and then sell the product in $8 to $10 bags. During his bond hearing evidence was provided which showed an encounter in which Seal passed a package of heroin to an undercover narcotics agent that later tested 52% pure. Authorities began targeting the fruits of Murray's labor seizing at least $1,300,000 in cash from the drug lord during the course of several raids aimed at breaking down his and Y.B.I's influence in Detroit's drug circles. During one raid on an apartment at the Jeffersonian (located at 900 E. Jeffeson,) more than $700,000 in cash sitting in brown paper bags was confiscated. Seemingly unfazed by the loss of such a large amount of cash, Murray told one of the raiding officers that his safe contained another $80,000 but he hadn't opened it in so long he no longer remembered the combination. Another of Murray's associates was not so casual and attempted to escape the raiding party by leaping from balcony to balcony 27 floors above the ground before breaking into a womans apartment where proceeded to phone his attorney before being taken into custody.
Starting Small
Sylvester Murray was born and raised in Detroit and conducted his first transaction within the drug business as a 14 year old. While his name was well known on the street "one Detroit social worker admitted hearing the name Seal in connection with narcotics trafficking as far back as 1969," Murray would remain an unknown quantity for another decade. During this time the enterprising Murray graduated from Detroit's Northwestern high with respectable marks and a reputation as a quiet seemingly shy loner. Throughout the '70s Murray would work closely with members of the DFG "Davis Family Gang," a group of brothers who would play prominently in the future growth of the heroin business in black areas of Detroit. Many people familiar with Murray admitted knowing of his success but attributed his wealth to a string of businesses he had run or financed.
Fine Clothes and Fast Cars
While his demeanor was always quiet, polite and respectable, Seal had an affinity for nice things. He was often spotted riding about town in one of the many fine autos he owned which included new Mercedes Benzes, Cadillac and a custom convertible Corvette. Sylvester Murray legitimate businessman owned an endless number of neatly tailored suites while his alter ego Seal was spotted at Y.B.I., parties wearing the gans customary sweat suites accented with lots of gold. While Sylvester Murray was undoubtably a fine businessman, his underworld nature often shined through in legitimate dealings such as the time he sought to purchase a new home. Murray took a liking to a home located in the 24000 block of Manistee in Oak Park, Michigan. Murray reportedly approached the owners with a suitcase full of cash one night and made an offer to buy the house which untill that moment wasn't on the market. Eventually a deal was worked out but the seller insisted on being paid by check as oppossed to the cash in a suitcase method. Murray also owned a home in the 19000 block of Nadol in Southfield, Michigan which he shared with Darlene Davis, a woman who identified herself to officers arriving to investigate a call of a domestic dispute in 1981. Although no charges were filed, officers did confiscate a loaded .357 maginum and an unloaded .38 caliber pistol both of which Seal admitted to owning. Prior to this run-in with authorities, Murray's record showed arrests for carrying concealed weapons and a controlled substance. The result of these cases are unknown but they had no bearing on the fact that Seal was in posession of a loaded firearm. When Murray learned of the pending federal indictment against Young Boys, an associate claimed that Murray began to worry about the fleet of cars which were being purchased in the names of many of his love interests which were on welfare.
A Frequent Traveller
As Seal's drug business expanded, his quest to fulfill the orders of his clientele called for hime to travel extensively to cities around the country. On one wiretap Murray is heard in a phone conversation detailing to an associate "I had to stop in Chicago for a couple of days...I left tonight. I'm supposed to be in Los Angeles ., man, but I had to wait on some people." Authorities say these trips were drug runs and argued during his trial that he had once made a trip to L.A., to secure a shipment of 4 lbs of brown heroin from Mexico. At his bail hearing the court ordered him held on a $10,000,000 bond while several of his co-defendants received virtually no bond at all. Murray was remanded immediately into federal custody and shipped to the federal penetentiary in Milan, Michigan pending trial.
Going on a Trip Courtesy of the Feds
Friday June 3, 1983 marked the end of the line for Seal Murray who had emerged from the Young Boys federal indictment as one of the most notoroious drug traffickers in Detroit after spending more than a decade as a relatively unknown figure. Convicted of drug conspiracy charges, the then 30 year old Murray accepted the jury's decision after 3 days of deliberation. Also found guilty in the case were two Murray associates Michael Jenkins and Velma Bailes whom authorities claimed stashed cash and drugs for Seal in their homes. All 3 were sentenced August 3,1983 with Murray receiving the harshest treatment drawing a term of 15 years and a $100,000 fine. 2 days after being convicted on drug conspiracy charges, the government attacked Murray's personal holdings seizing 5 buildings including an apartment complex and 4 single family homes. The feds also had their eyes on teh $1.3 million in cash seized from Murray and his associates but Seal's attorney claimed the money was the proceeds of Murray's legitimate enterprises which included a party store and a car wash in addition to his role of an auto trader and real-estate broker. Murray emerge from prison in August of 1991 after serving 8 years of the 15 year sentence and promptly returned to the drug business setting up another high profile organization which was toppled with his arrest in November of 1993. Murray along with his wife Darlene (mentioned above as Darlene Davis,) and 9 other associates were picked up after 4 raids on locations which included a home in the 19000 block of Nadol in Southfield which had been on the seizure list following his original conviction. At the time of his arrest, Murray stood charged with money laundering and heroin and cocaine trafficking. Agents seized an additional $160,000 in cash, 6 vehicles and 3 lbs of heroin. This case has yet to be resolved as Murray completes the remaining 7 years of his original 15 year term which means authorities had untill August of of this year to proceed with the charges filed in '93.
