Alleged drug kingpin goes down -- for bullets
Baltimore's street violence seems overwhelming at times. And authorities who are left to pick up the piece often get left with just that -- a piece.
But in this case, it might be enough to send an alleged drug lord, Terrell Allen, to prison for life, following his conviction in federal court on Tuesday. All for having 27 rounds ammunition in a Winchester box.
The tale starts back in 2008 when two Blackwell brothers were kidnapped and then mysteriously returned without police filing any charges. Cops vowed an investigation into two feuding drug gangs but nothing much happened, except for a series of retaliatory shootings across the city and a detailed account of how the Blackwells paid a $500,000 ransom.
Earlier this year, the Blackwell's were targeted at a cookout on Ashland Avenue in a shooting that left a dozen people injured, including the alleged leader of the Blackwell clan. That was part of a night in which 18 people were shot on the Eastside (see map above), and the violence bought renewed attention to the Blackwell-Allen feud. The city's police commissioner and mayor criticized the seemingly slow pace of the investigation after the kidnappings.
In their investigation, federal authorities had searched Allen's house after he got shot in May 2008 in front of the family's appliance store on Greenmount Avenue near East North Avenue. Over the years, Allen has been convicted for manslaughter and drugs and has escaped many other arrests, including a charge of murder.
The irnony in the drug world is that he becomes a victim and gets busted anyway. Though he faces life in prison, Baltimore Sun reporter Tricia Bishop quotes his attorney saying he's hoping for fewer than nine years.
It's too bad that cops couldn't get more on these two gangs that police say is responsible for so much violence, and going after Allen for ammunition found after he had been shot more than a year ago, while a worthwhile tool to get him off the streets, even if only for nine years, unfortunately shows shortcomings in an investigation promised more than a year ago.
Now, its seems police are paying renewed attention to the gangs. Last week, police arrested the alleged leader of the Blackwell group, Stephen J.R. Blackwell, and charged with causing a disturbance linked to police surveillance of him.
Here is the federal case against Allen from court documents filed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives:
On May 15, 2008, at approximately 6:00 p.m., Baltimore Police officers responded to a shooting at the Allen Family Appliance store (AFA) located at the intersection of the 1800 blocks of North Port Street and North Gay Street in Baltimore, Maryland. On their arrival, officers observed four (4) males with gunshot wounds outside that store. All of the shooting victims were then transported to local hospitals. Two victims, Tony Allen and Omar Spriggs, later died of their wounds. The two remaining victims, Terrell ALLEN and Reginald Davis, were treated for their wounds and are expected to survive. Numerous pieces of ballistic evidence were recovered at the scene, indicating multiple firearms were used in this incident.
While investigating the crime scene, Detectives observed a blood trail leading from outside of 1873 North Gay Street into the AFA store and toward a four drawer filing cabinet. The second drawer of that file cabinet was observed to be slightly ajar. Detectives then opened the drawer arid observed a silver colored revolver handgun inside. Detectives then secured the location and followed the blood trail out of the store to where survivIng victim Terrell ALLEN's clothing was located on the street. ALLEN's clothing had been left there by the paramedics who had been treating him for his gunshot wounds.
Later that same day, BPD detectives sought and obtained a search warrant targeting the AFA store; a search warrant that was executed that same day. In executing that warrant, investigators recovered the silver handgun from the file cabinet. That firearm is more particularly described as a .44 caliber Taurus revolver bearing serial #RB618663. In its revolver chamber were five (5) spent shell casings. In addition, a shoebox containing numerous rounds of different ammunition was recovered from the second floor of that location. The described Taurus firearm was swabbed for skin cells. Numerous blood samples were recovered from the interior and exterior ofthe AFA location in order to compare those samples to persons involved in this incident.
Detectives then obtained and executed a seizure warrant on Terrell ALLEN to recover his DNA. Based on analysis performed by certified forensic chemists of the Baltimore Police Department, Terrell ALLEN's DNA was found on the seized handgun and in the blood trail that ran between the file cabinet in which it was found and the site where ALLEN had been treated by paramedics.
The Baltimore Police Department's Firearms Examination Unit has examined the ballistics evidence recovered from the above-described crime scene, but was unable to ascertain whether any of that recovered evidence can be matched to the described seized Taurus handgun.
According to an eyewitness, he/she had observed Terrell ALLEN in possession of a silver colored revolver on a previous occasion. A second witness stated that he/she observed Terrell ALLEN enter the AFA store immediately after the shooting had occurred. This witness did not observe any other individuals either enter or leave the location before or after Terrell ALLEN until law enforcement officers had arrived at the scene.
Your affiant has obtained criminal history information of Terrell ALLEN from various law enforcement databases, and according to those databases, ALLEN has been convicted of at least one prior offense that is punishable by over one year's imprisonment, to include 1991 and 2001 convictions for Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, and a 1993 conviction for Manslaughter.
The described Taurus handgun meets the definition of a firearm as outlined in 18 U.S.C. S921. Further, your affiant knows that the seized/described Taurus firearm was . manufactured in Brazil, and its presence in Maryland thereby affected interstate commerce.
Based on the foregoing, your affiant respectfully submits that there is probable cause to believe that on or about May 15, 2008, in the District of Maryland, Terrell ALLEN, the defendant, did knowingly and 'unlawfully possess a firearm while being a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).
Comments
And Al Capone went to the clink for tax evasion...
Posted by: bryanintimonium | September 2, 2009 8:45 AM
Even though I know Rod Rosenstein was a Bush appointment, I hope that President Obama decides to appoint Rod Rosenstein for another term. As long as the incompetent Pat Jessamy is our state's attorney, we need him to clean up her messes.
Posted by: MCG | September 2, 2009 9:23 AM
The problem is NOT Patricia Jessamy,its the sorry,racist police of Baltimore City,they are so in a rush to make an arrest that they make mistakes and when these arrest and mistakes are bought to Mrs.Jessamy to prosecute,it is hard to get convictions based on lies that the police tells.
Posted by: mike | May 13, 2010 7:24 AM