Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Baltimore Man Facing Federal Indictment for Illegal Possession of a Firearm
Fired Handgun Toward a Crowd of People in Penn North Neighborhood
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury yesterday returned an indictment charging Brandon Goforth, age 36, of Baltimore, Maryland, with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person. A federal complaint was filed on September 25, 2020.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division and Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to the complaint, on November 27, 2019, a Sergeant in the Baltimore Police Department was conducting a business check at a business located in Baltimore City. While inside the establishment, the Sergeant heard several gunshots coming from down the street, and exited the establishment to investigate. Brandon Goforth was seen firing a handgun toward a crowd of people standing on the corner of North Avenue and Mount Street in Baltimore’s Penn North neighborhood. Goforth continued firing the gun towards the crowd while running westbound on North Avenue, then placed the handgun inside his right coat pocket while running into an alley.
Once officers located Goforth, the Sergeant positively identified him as the individual that had fired a handgun into a crowd of people. At the time of the shooting, Goforth had been wearing a black, grey, and green jacket. Officers located the jacket, also containing 20 baggies of marijuana, in an adjacent yard. Officers also recovered a black hat, a face mask, and a pistol loaded with five rounds of ammunition along the retraced route.
Goforth was previously convicted of a felony offense and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are continuing our efforts to address the gun violence plaguing the Baltimore area by using federal statutes prohibiting felons from possessing firearms. These types of reactive gun cases are part of the Exile program. Maryland EXILE is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), our violent-crime reduction strategy. The United States Attorney’s Office, through the use of Project Safe Neighborhoods and Project Guardian, will continue to pursue felons with guns who constitute a clear and present danger to the safety and welfare of the citizens of Baltimore.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney LaRai Everett, who is prosecuting the case.
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