FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
NOVEMBER 2, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BLOODS GANG MEMBER EXILED TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr. sentenced Lanikko Santiago, age 26, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release after being convicted at trial for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and for possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
According to the testimony presented at his two day trial, on November 8, 2006, Santiago was a passenger in the rear seat of a vehicle pulled over by Baltimore City Police detectives, who had observed the vehicle go through a stop sign. The detectives were patrolling the Montford and Oliver street corridor due to recent gang activity. One of the detectives observed Santiago toss something to the floor of the passenger’s seat and then move several jackets that were on the seat to the same area. Detectives observed the handle of a firearm sticking out from under the jackets just pushed to the floor. Santiago was removed from the vehicle and handcuffed, after a brief struggle. The officers recovered from the floor of the backseat a loaded firearm, with an obliterated serial number, which had been previously stolen. According to trial testimony Santiago admitted that he was a member of the Bloods Gang.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked Baltimore City State’s Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy, the Baltimore City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorneys Tonya Kelly Kowitz and Michael Hanlon, who prosecuted the case.