Baltimore Four-time Felon Exiled to 15 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of a Gun
Police Received Tip Defendant Was Carrying a Gun
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Jamar Saunders, age 25, of Baltimore today to 15 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a gun, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Judge Blake enhanced Saunders’ sentence upon finding that he was an armed career criminal, based on four previous narcotics convictions.
“Jamar Saunders was exiled for 15 years because someone notified police that he was carrying a gun,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “Criminals who carry guns on the streets of Baltimore should heed the lesson that citizens are eager to see violent repeat offenders removed from their neighborhoods.”
According to the information presented to the court at Saunders’ guilty plea, detectives of Baltimore City Police Department’s Organized Crime Division were working within the eastern district of Baltimore City on August 6, 2007, and received information that a man wearing a white tank top, khaki pants and a green bandana was carrying a handgun. Detectives were advised that the man was seated on a red bicycle at the corner of N. Washington Street and E. Lafayette Avenue and that the handgun was concealed in the individual’s waistband area. Detectives located the man at the location described and noticed a large bulge protruding from the individual’s front waistband area, having the outline of the handle of a firearm. The detectives were able to safely remove the firearm and arrested the man, who was identified as Jamar Saunders.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Baltimore City State’s Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy and Assistant State’s Attorney Jessica Paugh, the Baltimore 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 Attorney John W. Sippel, who prosecuted the case.
