James Kingsborough Gets 10 Years for Illegal Firearm Possession

Baltimore man James Kingsborough, 26, is headed to federal prison for a decade after being caught with a loaded .380 caliber handgun just months after walking out of prison on an attempted murder charge. U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz handed down the 10-year sentence on Wednesday, followed by three years of supervised release, after a jury found Kingsborough guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The conviction stems from a violent confrontation on June 17, 2015, when Baltimore Police officers spotted Kingsborough at the intersection of North Franklintown Road and West Franklin Street, hunched over and moving strangely. When asked if he was ‘OK,’ Kingsborough replied he was ‘on the box’ — slang for wearing an electronic monitoring device. He then abruptly walked away, adjusting his waistband in a way that immediately raised red flags.

Officers followed him into a nearby barber shop. Inside, Kingsborough turned, grabbed his right midsection, and moved toward one of the officers. Ordered to show his hands, he refused. A physical struggle erupted as Kingsborough twisted free, dragging one officer through the shop’s front door. During the tussle, a firearm dropped from his waistband — a .380 handgun loaded with hollow point rounds, designed to expand on impact and maximize damage.

With a second officer joining the fray, the first officer deployed his Taser, fearing for his partner’s safety. Kingsborough was subdued, arrested, and later found to be legally barred from possessing any firearm or ammunition due to four prior felony convictions — including attempted second-degree murder. This offense occurred less than five months after his release from incarceration on that conviction.

The case was jointly announced by U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein; ATF Special Agent in Charge Daniel L. Board Jr.; Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis; and State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby. Federal prosecutors emphasized the danger posed by repeat violent offenders re-arming themselves almost immediately after release.

Rosenstein praised the work of the ATF, Baltimore Police Department, and State’s Attorney’s Office in stopping a man with a proven history of violence from unleashing more on the streets. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Metcalf and John W. Sippel, Jr. handled the prosecution. Kingsborough now returns to federal custody — not for the first time, and almost certainly not the last.