Man Accused of Shooting Baltimore Cop Faces Drug and Gun Charges

By - June 30, 2014
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bs-md-ci-gregg-thomas-mcneill-federal-indictme-001A 34 year old man was charged with shooting and wounding an off duty Baltimore policeman was indicted on federal charges on gun and drug charges.

Gregg Thomas was arrested in the spring and was accused of shooting Keith Mcneill outside a car parts store in Baltimore. At that time, Thomas’ brother Lamont also was facing federal charges after he was pulled over by the police who said that they found drugs in the car.

The charges against Gregg Thomas have been filed in a superceding indictment in the case against his brother and another man named Tyrone Bailey. Another man charged in the new indictment was Deshawn Yarborough.

Greg Thomas’ lawyer on the attempted murder charges – Janice Bledsoe – has said that her client has been accused of having a small role in a case that has wiretaps involved but she has not looked at that evidence yet.

Federal prosecutors have accused Yarborough and Bailey of attempting to distribute at least five kilos of cocaine. Lamont and Gregg Thomas also are charged with trying to distribute at least ½ a kilogram of cocaine.

Gregg Thomas also was charged with being in possession of a .45 handgun with a serial number that is illegible. He also had 100 rounds of ammo for several weapons.

Yarborough further is charged with having in his possession 16 rounds of .45 ammo.

A few days before the police officer was shot, Lamont Thomas was stopped by the police because he was driving 10 miles per hour over the speed limit on I-96. The Maryland State Police found four kilograms of cocaine in a secret compartment in the car, located in the seat back of the rear seat of his pickup. One kilo of cocaine is worth at least $35,000 on the street.

No motive for shooting the cop has been determined. McNeill was released from the hospital recently. He was not on duty at the time he was shot, while visiting a friend at an auto repair shop.

More than 100 cops from Baltimore City and several other areas recently raised $10,000 on a motorcycle ride that is intended to help with the medical bills of the wounded officer. The proceeds from the ride went towards the Signal 13 Foundation, which is raising money for McNeill. The officer was shot for just sitting in his truck outside the auto parts shop.

McNeill, while out of the hospital, has not been able to return to work yet.

The bikers rode from Port Covington to the National Harbor Resort near Baltimore in the cop’s honor.

The wife of McNeill accepted the check from Police Commissioner Anthony Batts in mid-June.

About Drug Trafficking

Drug trafficking crimes receive a lot of attention at the federal level, and it clear why this is the case. Drug abuse costs the US billions of dollars every year. That is why the federal and state governments take drug trafficking very seriously. If you are caught with 500 grams to 5 kilos of cocaine, you will get at least five years in prison. If you are caught with more than five kilos of coke, you will get at least 10 years. Note that heroin is even more serious: Being caught with one kilo of heroin means you will get 10 years in prison.

Drug trafficking sentences may be enhanced depending if you have a criminal history as well.