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The episode "Risk,"" of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit begins with a single mother running from her apartment building with her infant son in her arms, hysterically screaming that her baby was not breathing. Shortly after, the audience is informed that the can of baby formula the mother fed her son contained liquid cocaine. The episode's writers use the stereotypes about black mothers in poor urban areas to lead the audience to believe that she is responsible for the child's death in this scene. Detective Benson and Stabler receive word from officials about the situation and immediately rush to the hospital. The show's detectives question the mother when they learn that a can of baby formula found in the home contained concentrated cocaine. The mother insists that she has never used drugs mainly because her mother was an addict. However she admits to stealing the baby formula from the Pfeiffer's, an upper middle-class family that she works for as a housekeeper. .
Throughout the remainder of the episode, the Manhattan special victims unit investigates the case in hopes of finding the top drug dealer responsible for the death of the innocent baby boy. After the baby was found dead, the detectives discover a ring of cocaine dealers. As the investigation continues, detectives find the Manhattan couple (the Pfeiffer's) are involved in a drug smuggling ring that uses young white mothers with infants to carry the cocaine over the border. Stabler goes undercover as a businessman that is involved in drug dealing, using this drug ring as his supplier. The detectives finally discover that the man at the center of the drug ring is Keith Gerald, Mr. Pfieffer's boss who is portrayed as a very successful businessman. .
Furthermore, Gerald preys on financially struggling families to participate in his scheme and goes as far as renting babies for the mothers to use as cover. Once pressure of the investigation mounts, Gerald shows that he is a cold blooded killer by murdering anyone who could testify against him.