FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
APRIL 18, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BALTIMORE FELON SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS
FOR ILLEGALLY CARRYING A GUN
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Franklin Blackmon, age 30, of Baltimore today to 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release following his trial conviction by a federal jury of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Judge Blake sentenced Blackmon after finding that he is an armed career criminal based on his prior convictions.
According to trial testimony, on November 1, 2005 a Baltimore police officer heard three to four gunshots as he was driving on East Lafayette Street in the eastern district of Baltimore City. He observed several people running out of the 1800 block of Castle Street and heard three more gunshots. As the officer turned onto Castle Street to investigate, he saw Blackmon place a shiny object behind the tire of a car parked on the street. He ordered Blackmon to stop, but Blackmon fled. The officer chased Blackmon and apprehended him a short time later. The officer returned to Castle Street and retrieved a .44 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver, which contained six spent shell casings.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Baltimore Police Department, and commended Assistant United States Attorney Tonya K. Kowitz, who prosecuted the case.