FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
July 27, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THREE TIME FELON EXILED TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON FOR ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF A GUN
Found to Be An Armed Career Criminal
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz sentenced Christopher Andrew Ward, age 28, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Motz enhanced Ward’s sentence upon finding that he is an armed career criminal, based on three previous narcotics convictions.
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 Ward’s plea agreement, on January 9, 2009, members of the Violent Crime Impact Division (VCID) were patrolling in the 1600 block of N. Chester Street in Baltimore due to recent drug activity and related violence. Members of VCID saw Ward walking with his hands hidden in his sweatshirt. Detectives drove their car up next to where Ward was walking and asked if he had a gun. Ward claimed he did not have a gun but turned his right side away from the car, as to hide his right hip. As one of the detectives got out of the car, Ward ran. He was stopped by officers a short distance away and the officers recovered a loaded .22 caliber revolver from an inside-the-pants style holster.
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 Attorney Peter M. Nothstein, who prosecuted the case.