FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
March 28, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BALTIMORE FELON EXILED TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON FOR
ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF A GUN
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett, sentenced Dante Kennedy, a/k/a Fruity age 32, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to15 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Bennett enhanced Kennedy’s sentence upon finding that he is an armed career criminal, based on three previous drug trafficking convictions.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Ava Cooper-Davis of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein; and Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III.
According to Kennedy’s guilty plea, in August 2010, DEA agents met with a source and arranged to obtain a gun from Kennedy, who was being investigated as a high ranking member of a cocaine and heroin trafficking organization operating on the East side of Baltimore. On August 24, 2010, Kennedy provided the source with a Glock, model 19, 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Members of the DEA Special Investigation Group (SIG) monitored and recorded the meetings between Kennedy and the source. After obtaining the Glock, the source gave the gun to SIG agents.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the DEA, Baltimore Police Department and Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in this investigation and thanked Assistant United States Attorney James T. Wallner, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.