FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
July 12, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BALTIMORE FELON EXILED TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON
FOR GUN AND DRUG OFFENSES
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Steven Butler, age 24, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 15 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and illegal possession of a firearm by a felon. Judge Blake enhanced Butler’s sentence upon finding that he is an armed career criminal based on four previous convictions for drug or violent crime offenses.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Theresa R. Stoop of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein; and Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III.
According to Butler’s plea agreement, on May 8, 2010, Baltimore Police officers were patrolling in the 2800 block of Norfolk Avenue when they saw Butler standing at the entrance of an alley. As the officers drove past the defendant, he grabbed his waistband as if he were armed and began running down the alley. The officers followed Butler to the front porch of a nearby home where he attempted to hide. As the officers approached Butler they saw him throw an object from the porch into the yard. The officers detained Butler and recovered a loaded 9mm pistol from the yard and two ziplock bags of cocaine from the porch. Officers also searched Butler and recovered 14 additional baggies of cocaine and $1,200.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the ATF, Baltimore Police Department and Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in this investigation and thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Cheryl L. Crumpton and Antonio Reynolds, who prosecuted the case.