DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
District of Massachusetts

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, August 1, 2018
Andrew E. Lelling
, United States Attorney
Contact: Christina DiIorio-Sterling

Boston Gang Member Charged with Federal Firearm Offense

BOSTON – A Boston man affiliated with the Vine/Forest Street and Orchard Park gangs was charged today in federal court in Boston with illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.

 

Quantae Elmore, 21, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Elmore was arrested on July 6, 2018, and charged; he has been in custody since his arrest.

 

According to court documents, around 9:40pm on May 4, 2018, multiple people were shot inside the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments, formerly known as the Bromley Heath Housing Development, in Jamaica Plain. A small white car was seen speeding away. Approximately 20 minutes later, aware of an ongoing feud between the Heath Street gang and the Orchard Park gang, police officers went to the Orchard Gardens Development to investigate possible links between the Jamaica Plain shooting and Orchard Gardens. There, on Ziegler Street, officers encountered Elmore standing outside a white car with other Vine/Forest Street and Orchard Park gang affiliates. 

 

It is alleged that Elmore grew alarmed upon seeing the officers, grabbed the front of his waistband with both hands, and began walking away from the officers. Officers followed Elmore, who ultimately stopped, still grabbing his waistband. Officers saw a bulge at the front of Elmore’s waist, consistent with a firearm, and pat-frisked him. They found inside his waistband a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber handgun loaded with five rounds of .38 caliber ammunition.  

 

The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

 

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New England Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William Evans made the announcement today.

 

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

 

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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

 

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Boston Field Division