MEMBER OF STOLEN GUN "RING" JAILED FOR
ROLE IN THE IMPORTATION AND SALE OF STOLEN FIREARMS

Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today that C’Don Chezere Thompson, 21, 3600 Ninth Street, Baltimore, has been sentenced for his role in the importation and sale of stolen firearms. Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge John M. Glynn sentenced Thompson to 10 years in jail, with all but three years suspended, following his conviction of the following offenses: 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, due to be sentenced on March 25 in Anne Arundel County after having been found guilty of conspiring to illegally sell stolen guns in that County, was also placed on five years of supervised probation upon his release. Thompson’s other co-conspirators, Cheryl Kimberly Shorter and Evelyn Renee Alston have also been found guilty for various charges and are currently awaiting sentencing.

The facts underlying the convictions are that on May 15, 2002, Anne Arundel County Police officers received information that two black females in a silver Nissan Pathfinder were attempting to sell handguns in the area of Freetown Village, located in Glen Burnie. The officers conducted a traffic stop and discovered three Smith & Wesson .38 Special Revolvers and 100 rounds of ammunition.

Further investigation revealed that the firearms actually belonged to Argenbright Security Company, located in Arlington, Virginia. A company representative confirmed that 12 guns had been stolen, and that Shorter was a current employee of their company. Thompson, her then boyfriend, was a former employee. Upon questioning, Shorter admitted that she stole the firearms from her place of employment, and brought them back to her house. Shorter further stated that she and Thompson planned on selling the weapons because she needed money for a new car. Alston was later interviewed by the Maryland State Police, and she admitted to helping Shorter locate people in Freetown that 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 City residence of Shorter and Thompson. Three more of the stolen Smith & Wesson .38 Special Revolvers, and approximately 400 rounds of ammunition, were found and seized. When asked by officers where the remaining stolen guns were, Shorter stated that Thompson must have taken them. Further investigation showed that Thompson had in fact 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 came home with the guns, which they decided to sell. Thompson admitted to selling four of the guns, but claimed he did not know the buyer’s name or whereabouts. Troopers from the Maryland State Police are currently looking for this individual.

"This case demonstrates the overall mission of this Unit and the cooperating law enforcement agencies: to keep guns out of the hands of individuals who cannot legally have them, and to jail those offenders for their actions," Attorney General Curran said. "The net result is fewer guns in circulation–which means fewer gun-related crimes and fewer gun-related injuries and deaths."

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 continuing.

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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