The anti-gun crime Baltimore EXILE program landed 86 federal indictments in its first year, law enforcement officials said Wednesday.
“Violent crime in Baltimore City is a problem that we all recognize as one of our top priorities,” said Maryland U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein. “We are going to see reductions in gun crime throughout Maryland.”
Combined with the federal indictments, the U.S. Attorney?s Office in 2006 filed two criminal complaints charging a total of 90 defendants on federal gun charges, 42 of which were referred by the Baltimore City State?s Attorney?s special Firearms Investigative Violence Enforcement unit.
The number of federal charges represents a 24 percent hike in the number of indictments and an 18 percent increasein the number of defendants charged federally with similar offenses during 2005.
“We are making a difference, and the statistics bear that out,” said Baltimore City State?s Attorney Patricia Jessamy.
“We are working very hard to get these violent, repeat offenders off the streets and keep them off the streets as long as possible,” she said.
In addition to the indictments, the Baltimore EXILE program has launched an outreach and media campaign including bus billboards, radio public service announcements and posters advertising lengthy federal sentences received by particular defendants.
Baltimore EXILE is a strategy to combat gun crime by combining the efforts of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
The law enforcement partnership was evidence that heads of the various agencies can work together, said Baltimore City Police Commissioner Leonard Hamm.
“There?s a myth out there that we in law enforcement have a difficulty working with one another and achieving positive ends,” he said. “That?s exactly what it is: A myth.”
BY THE NUMBERS
The Baltimore City State?s Attorney?s Office?s FIVE Division ? Firearms Investigative Violence Enforcement ? in 2006 worked closely with federal prosecutors as part of the anti-gun-crime Baltimore EXILE program. The team of 15 city prosecutors achieved the following results:
» 456 new weapons violations cases were charged.
» 283 defendants were found guilty by plea, court or jury trial.
» 230 new shooting cases were charged by prosecutors.
» 147 defendants received five-year, no parole sentences.
» 63 defendants received 10-year sentences.
» 42 defendants were indicted federally.
» 36 federal letters of intent, called FLIP letters, led to 27 state pleas on gun charges.
Source: Baltimore City State?s Attorney?s Office
Program uses letters threatening prosecution
Federal prosecutors have begun sending threatening letters to certain gun-crime suspects with cases pending in Baltimore City, as part of the Baltimore EXILE program.
The letters, known as a “Federal Letter of Intent to Prosecute,” or “FLIP,” tell suspects they will be charged federally if they don?t plead guilty in Baltimore City Circuit Court.
“The FLIP letters are getting results,” said Baltimore City State?s Attorney Patricia Jessamy.
In 2006, a total of 36 FLIP letters were sent to state prosecutors, who gives them to the defendants.
Seventy-five percent or 27 defendants who received the letters pled guilty to state charges carrying at least the mandatory five-year sentence. Defendants who rejected the state pleas were indicted in federal court.
“We give the defendant an opportunity to plead guilty in state court in order to avoid federal prosecution,” said Maryland U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein.
“It?s had a significant impact in the type of sentences we get and how quickly the cases are resolved.”
Baltimore City State?s Attorney?s special gun-crime unit Firearms Investigative Violence Enforcement also landed 283 convictions in gun violence cases in 2006, including nonfatal shootings and weapons violations.
Of those, 147 defendants received five-year, no-parole sentences and 63 defendants received 10-year sentences.
“When you hear that people who are getting charged in the city are getting off, that?s not the case,” Jessamy said.
? Luke Broadwater
