MULTIPLE DEFENDANTS FOUND GUILTY IN STOLEN GUN RING,
WEAPONS RECOVERED IN BALTIMORE CITY, AA COUNTY

Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today that three individuals have been found guilty for their role in the importation and sale of handguns that were stolen from a security company located in Virginia. Cheryl Kimberly Shorter, 28, C’Don Chezere Thompson, 20, both of 3600 Ninth Street, Baltimore, and Evelyn Renee Alston, 28, 1014 Love Point Road, Stevensville, have all been found guilty for various criminal offenses, and are currently awaiting sentencing.

The facts underlying the criminal convictions are that on May 15, 2002, officers with the Anne Arundel County Police Department received information that two females in a silver Nissan Pathfinder were attempting to sell handguns in the Freetown Village section of Glen Burnie. Officers conducted a traffic stop and discovered that Shorter was the operator of the vehicle and Alston a passenger. After Shorter gave consent for the officers to search her vehicle, they located three Smith & Wesson .38 Special Revolvers and 100 rounds of ammunition, all of which were contained in a black backpack.

Further investigation revealed that the firearms belonged to Argenbright Security Company, of Arlington, Virginia. A company representative confirmed that 12 guns had been recently stolen, and that Shorter was a current employee of their company. Thompson, her boyfriend at the time, was a former employee. Upon questioning, Shorter admitted stealing the firearms and bringing them to her home. Shorter further stated that she and Thompson planned on selling the weapons because she needed money for a new car. When Alston was later interviewed by the Maryland State Police, she admitted to helping Shorter locate people in Freetown who would be interested in buying the guns because she also needed money.

In an attempt to locate the remaining stolen weapons, a search was conducted at the Baltimore residence of Shorter and Thompson. Three more stolen Smith & Wesson .38 Special Revolvers and approximately 400 rounds of ammunition were found and seized. When asked where the remaining stolen guns were, Shorter stated that Thompson must have taken them. Further investigation showed that Thompson sold at least four of the handguns already. Thompson was located, taken into custody, and then interviewed regarding his role in the sale of the stolen weapons. Thompson stated that Shorter had come home with the stolen guns, which they decided to sell on the street. Thompson admitted to selling four of the guns, but claimed he did not know the buyer’s name or where he could be located. Troopers from the Maryland State Police are currently looking for this individual.

Subsequently, an additional stolen weapon from Argenbright was recovered during the execution of an unrelated drug search warrant in Baltimore City. Investigation as to how that individual obtained one of the stolen weapons, and the whereabouts of the remaining unrecovered stolen handguns, is ongoing.

"The activities of these individuals illustrates perfectly how the existing gun culture threatens our communities and neighborhoods so pervasively," Attorney General Curran said. "We will continue our efforts to follow and block the trails of illegal guns and, in doing so, hopefully prevent the tragedies that follow closely behind."

Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Alfred Nance found Shorter guilty of committing: six counts of Importation of a Regulated Firearm for Illegal Sale, one count of Possession of Stolen Property Valued More than $500, and one count of Conspiracy to Illegally Sell Regulated Firearms. Shorter is scheduled to be sentenced on these charges on February 28, 2003. The State is seeking 10 years incarceration, with all but five years suspended. Moreover, Shorter still has charges arising out of this case pending in the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court.

Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge John M. Glynn found Thompson guilty of committing: four counts of Illegal Possession of a Stolen Regulated Firearm, one count of Illegal Possession of a Regulated Firearm by a Minor, and one count of Illegal Sale of a Regulated Firearm. Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced on these charges on February 27, 2003. The State is seeking 10 years incarceration, with all but three years suspended. Thompson also has charges arising out of this case pending in the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court, and he is scheduled to appear on those charges on February 13, 2003.

Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Joseph P. Manck found Alston guilty of committing: three counts of Illegal Possession of a Stolen Regulated Firearm, one count of Unlawful Transportation of a Handgun, and one count of Conspiracy to Illegally Sell Regulated Firearms. Alston is scheduled to be sentenced on these charges on March 6, 2003. The State is seeking eight years with all but 18 months suspended.

This case was investigated by the Maryland State Police Cease Fire Unit and Anne Arundel County Police Department, with assistance provided by the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the Baltimore City Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the Firearms Trafficking Unit of the Office of the Attorney General under Operation Crime Gun, which is funded from grants received from the Governor’s Office on Crime Control and Prevention, and the Maryland State Police Cease Fire Council.

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