Baltimore Felon Featured Prominently in “Stop Snitching” Video Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Gun Charges

Baltimore, Maryland - Sherman Kemp, age 29, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty today to all counts charged against him in the indictment - conspiracy to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Kemp had been scheduled to go to trial on July 23, 2008.

“The Baltimore ‘Stop Snitching’ DVD helped to produce an unprecedented era of law enforcement coordination that has brought a record-breaking reduction in violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “Repeat offenders who carry guns now understand that they face the likelihood of federal criminal prosecution under the Maryland EXILE program. This case demonstrates that the ‘Stop Snitching’ campaign has failed in Baltimore because most citizens do not want drug dealers and violent criminals in their neighborhoods. The ‘stop snitching’ campaign was nothing more than a cynical ploy by drug-dealing thugs to intimidate citizens who want safe neighborhoods.”

"I commend US Attorney Rod Rosenstein for his leadership and the significant federal resources that he has leveraged from our many federal law enforcement partners to address the issue of witness intimidation in our community, " said State's Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy. "Witness threats and intimidation continue to pose a significant threat to public safety, and our partnership with the US Attorney has been a valuable tool that has brought meaningful results. "

According to the plea agreement, on September 11, 2002 while Kemp was attempting to deliver a kilogram of cocaine in the area of Mannasota Avenue and Brehms Lane in Baltimore City, law enforcement attempted to arrest him. Kemp struck a police vehicle with his car and escaped. Thereafter, the Baltimore City Police searched Kemp’s stash location on Kenyon Avenue and recovered over three kilograms of cocaine. Police also recovered two boxes of Mannite, which is a cutting agent used for processing and packaging cocaine, from a relative’s residence.

Between March and May of 2007, Kemp traveled to New York City and purchased at least five kilograms of cocaine from a source. Kemp supplied cocaine to lower level dealers in Baltimore who were in turn supplying half, quarter and eighth kilogram quantities of cocaine to street dealers. Kemp and his conspirators discussed how they would use guns to rob and intimidate other competing drug dealers.

On May 8, 2007, Kemp learned that law enforcement had approached one of his couriers whose house had been searched. Kemp immediately called a relative to remove his handgun from his residence. Law enforcement agents then observed the relative hide the handgun in a public alley behind Kemp’s residence. The agents recovered a loaded .40 Caliber Glock semi-automatic pistol from the alley. Kemp was prohibited by law of possessing the handgun because of his prior criminal record.

Kemp appears in numerous portions of the first “Stop Snitching” video.

Kemp faces a minimum mandatory sentence of ten years in prison without parole and up to life in prison for the cocaine conspiracy; a minimum mandatory sentence of five years in prison without parole consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed and up to life in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; 10 years in prison for illegal possession of a gun; and a mandatory minimum of five years in prison without parole and up to 40 years in prison for distributing cocaine. U.S. District Chief Judge Benson E. Legg has scheduled sentencing for October 10, 2008 at 10:00 a.m.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked Baltimore City State’s Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy and Assistant State’s Attorney Rebecca Cox, the Baltimore City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles J. Peters and David Copperthite, who are prosecuting the case.