Charvez Brooks, Illegal Possession of a Firearm, Maryland 2023

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury has found Charvez Brooks, 35, of Gwynn Oak, guilty of illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, in violation of federal law.

The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimi of the ATF – Washington Field Division; Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department (“BPD”), and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates.

According to the evidence presented at trial, in the days following the August 2019 shooting of an off-duty Baltimore police sergeant, Charvez Brooks was seen by a BPD Northeast District patrol officer driving a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle suspected of involvement in the shooting.

Although Brooks was not involved in the shooting, he immediately fled when he saw the police, leading them on a 10-minute high-speed chase through northeast Baltimore.

During the flight, Brooks threw a loaded firearm out the window of his car into a parking lot on Belair Road.

Two people, who were standing at a nearby bus stop, saw the firearm get thrown from the car and promptly flagged down police, who recovered the gun.

Brooks acknowledged during a subsequent interview with the Baltimore Police that he threw the gun out of the window of his car.

At the time of the incident, Brooks had previous felony convictions in Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Howard County Circuit Courts for burglary, assault, theft, and drug possession.

Brooks faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm.

U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has not yet scheduled sentencing.

In August 2020, Brooks was convicted after a five-day federal trial for conspiracy to commit a commercial robbery in connection with the robbery of a gas station owner in January 2018.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, BPD and Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.

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