Four-Time Baltimore Felon Exiled to 15 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of a Gun

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Kalife Crenshaw, age 32, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 15 years in prison followed by four years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Bennett enhanced Crenshaw's sentence upon finding that he is an armed career criminal based on three previous drug convictions and a conviction for a crime of violence.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Acting Special Agent in Charge Marino F. Vidoli of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III of the Baltimore City Police Department.

According to the facts presented to the Court at his hearing, on May 11, 2011, Baltimore Police detectives were in an unmarked police vehicle in the 2800 block of Granley Avenue in Baltimore, which had been targeted for enforcement due to high drug activity and violence. The detectives saw Kalife Crenshaw walking with another individual northbound on Reisterstown Road. Crenshaw and his companion appeared startled to see the detectives and both detectives saw Crenshaw immediately grab what appeared to be a bulge in his right pants pocket. The detectives, believing that Crenshaw had a gun, followed Crenshaw as he walked into an auto sales lot in the 4200 block of Reisterstown Road. After one of the detectives got out of the car and announced “police,” Crenshaw ran away and the detectives saw the handle of a gun sticking out of his pocket.

The detectives pursued Crenshaw through the parking lot and saw him attempting to pull the gun out of his pocket. One of the detectives warned Crenshaw that if he did not stop, he would be "tasered." When the Crenshaw failed to follow the detective's commands to stop, he was tasered and the detective recovered a loaded .357 Magnum revolver from the Crenshaw's right front pants pocket/

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the ATF, and Baltimore Police Department for their work in this investigation and thanked Assistant United States Attorney Debra Dwyer, who prosecuted the case.