Juvenile Crime Spree Leaves Baltimore Residents Concerned 2024-10-04

A series of assaults and robberies committed by groups of juveniles in the Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore has left residents concerned about the lack of consequences for the young suspects. The incidents, which occurred over the span of a few days, involved a stolen car, multiple robberies, and assaults. While police were able to apprehend some of the suspects, ranging in age from 12 to 16, the juvenile justice system's policies around detaining and prosecuting minors have come under scrutiny. Residents express frustration that the suspects may face minimal consequences, with one stating 'They know what they're doing, how bad it is. They know that. You know, a 12 year-old maybe you can put him in a program, the ankle bracelet or something like that. They have to have consequences for what they do or they don't learn anything.'

Crime Prevention

Everytown Community Safety Fund Grants $100,000 to LifeBridge Health's Center for Hope in Baltimore 2024-10-04

The Everytown Community Safety Fund (CSF), part of Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, has announced a $100,000 grant to LifeBridge Health's Center for Hope to advance its work of ending gun violence in Baltimore. This grant is part of the CSF's more than $2 million investment in 20 gun violence intervention organizations nationwide. The CSF, the largest national initiative solely dedicated to fueling the life-saving work of community-based violence intervention organizations, has granted more than $13 million in support of 136 such organizations since 2019.

Fraud

Baltimore Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Fraud Scheme Targeting Seniors 2024-10-04

A Baltimore man, Dolapo L., was sentenced to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release for his involvement in a fraud scheme to obtain tax refunds using the identities of senior citizens. L. pleaded guilty in May to charges of access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. He was part of a stolen identity fraud scheme, using the identities of elderly victims to obtain fraudulent tax refunds, which he then loaded onto debit cards through bank accounts opened under the victims' names. L. was found with over 300 unique debit cards and over $3 million in fraudulent tax refund claims when law enforcement searched his home.