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Man Guilty of Trying to Run Down Marshal with Minivan
LOS ANGELES – Keith Leon Smith, 47, was found guilty of assaulting a Deputy U.S. Marshal by trying to run him over with a minivan.
The verdict came after a three-day trial in United States District Court, where the prosecution presented evidence that on March 11, 2015, six Deputy U.S. Marshals went to a residence in Carson, California, to take Smith into custody after a federal judge issued a bench warrant due to his violation of the terms of his supervised release.
Smith was serving more than seven years in prison for manufacturing methamphetamine. After the Marshals executed a traffic stop, Smith reversed his vehicle toward some of the Marshals Service vehicles and accelerated toward a Deputy Marshal, who was in front of the minivan.
The Deputy Marshal fired his weapon at the windshield and fell backward. Smith briefly stopped the vehicle, then accelerated the minivan toward the Deputy Marshal on the ground, who was able to jump out of the way and fire several shots at the vehicle.
Smith sped away, but deputies with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department located him the next day and took him into custody. During a subsequent interview, Smith stated that he did not “stop” for the Marshals because he did not “want to go back to prison,” according to the evidence presented at trial.
As a result of the conviction, Smith faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner is scheduled to sentence Smith on April 18.
The investigation in the assault case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anil J. Antony and Kimberly D. Jaimez of the General Crimes Section.
“Law enforcement officers put their lives at risk every day in the line of duty,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “Those who increase this risk and intentionally put the lives of law enforcement officers in jeopardy will be prosecuted.”
Keith Leon Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on April 18 for assaulting a federal officer with a deadly and dangerous weapon.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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