Erick Rahumid Hobbs, Illegal Possession of Firearm, Maryland 2019

A 39-year-old Baltimore man was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition. Erick Rahumid Hobbs, also known as Eric Muhammad, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow on [undisclosed date] in federal court in Baltimore.

Hobbs was previously convicted of a felony and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. A federal jury convicted Hobbs on March 6, 2019, after a three-day trial.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department.

“Erick Hobbs knew that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Far too many people are making the bad choice to carry and use guns,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Hopefully criminals who are not deterred from carrying guns by the threat of prison can be deterred by the reality of years spent in a federal prison far from home, where there is no parole—ever.”

The evidence presented at his trial showed that between October 2017 and January 2018, Hobbs was dating a woman and gave the woman’s daughter a television as a gift. After the woman broke off their relationship, Hobbs demanded that the woman return the television, even though Hobbs had given it as a gift to her daughter.

Hobbs broke a rear kitchen window to gain access to the woman’s home on February 3, 2018. When the woman and her daughter came downstairs to investigate the noise, Hobbs ordered them at gunpoint to open the front door, and he threatened to kill the woman, her daughter, her family, and the police. The woman unlocked the front door. Hobbs, still armed with the gun, forced his way into the residence, then left with the television. The woman called the police to report the incident.

On February 4, 2018, law enforcement located Hobbs in his vehicle and attempted to stop it. Hobbs fled and rear-ended a van nearby. Hobbs got out of his vehicle and was arrested. Officers recovered a loaded 9 mm pistol from the ground by the driver’s side door of Hobbs’ vehicle, where Hobbs was standing at the time of his arrest.

Later that day, Hobbs was captured on recorded jail calls talking to his son and roommate. During one of those calls, Hobbs provided his son with the victim’s address and directed his son to give the address to Hobbs’ roommate who is “gonna take care of it from there.” Hobbs’ son promptly went to Hobbs’ residence and provided his phone to Hobbs’ roommate so he could talk to Hobbs. On a recorded jail call, Hobbs spelled out the victim’s first and last name for his roommate and directed his roommate to get the victim’s address from his son. On the same recorded jail call, Hobbs told his roommate that he needed someone to talk with the victim and suggested Facebook as means to contact her. The roommate agreed and subsequently sent the victim communications via Facebook. The victim notified the Baltimore County Police Department of the Facebook communications and was relocated due to concerns for her safety.

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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

Hobbs was sentenced to 198 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/baltimore-felon-sentenced-more-16-years-federal-prison-illegal-possession-firearm-and