Chicago

‘Unspeakable Violence': Heroin Kingpin With Michigan Ave. Apartment Who Murdered Lifelong Friend Gets 37 Years

He protected his operation with ruthless violence, prosecutors say

Greg Holden's two young daughters were home when his "lifelong friend" broke into the family's Woodridge apartment and shot him approximately 20 times, the U.S. Attorney's office says.

David Price killed Holden in December 2011, prosecutors say, because Holden had become a federal informant and was cooperating with authorities to take down a collosal heroin operation that funded Price's "lavish lifestyle."

Price, a 38-year-old from Brookfield, was sentenced to 37 years in prison Friday by a federal judge for supplying large amounts of heroin to the West Side of Chicago and murdering Holden, the U.S. Attorney’s office announced.

Price was convicted on all 13 counts against him, including heroin conspiracy, money laundering and having an “Uzi-style” semi-auto pistol with an extended magazine. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Harry D. Leinenweber in Chicago.

Prosecutors said Price ran a violent drug ring that moved 90 kilograms of heroin to multiple open-air markets. They said he used the cash to fund a life of luxury in the city and suburbs—including diamond jewelry, designer fashion and a South Michigan Avenue high-rise apartment. He also had homes in Naperville, Country Club Hills, Bolingbrook, Lombard, Darien and Brookfield. Prosecutors say Price owned high-end cars like a Chevrolet Corvette and a Harley-Davidson Touring motorcycle.

He protected his operation with ruthless violence, prosecutors said.

In addition to personally seeing to Holden's violent death, Price ordered the killing of another former drug partner, 35-year-old James Brown, who was shot but survived and testified against Price, authorities said.

“Defendant’s senseless violence was motivated by greed and his love for money,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel M. Krull and Erik Hogstrom argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Defendant is a lifelong criminal, becoming a millionaire by pushing heroin on a suffering community, and putting money, power, and unspeakable violence above his family, above his childhood friends, above his community, and above everything.”

Authorities said Price used an apartment on the city’s West Side in the Austin neighborhood with others in his crew to mix heroin with sleeping pills and then package it for sale on the street.

Price's attorney, Beau Brindley, argued that there was not enough evidence to prove Price killed Holden, according to the Chicago Tribune.

David Price Sr., Price’s father, who testified against his son and cooperated with federal authorities, told the newspaper the evidence was “hearsay.” He said his son would have been facing a shorter sentence if Price Jr. was white.

“He ain’t no kingpin,” he told the newspaper.

Price’s cousin, 35-year-old Keith Carr, of Chicago, was also convicted as a conspirator in the operation. He was sentenced last year to 20 years in prison.

Two others, Rashid Bounds and Christopher Saunders, were convicted in the drug operation and are serving 17 and a half years each.

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