Barry Murel, even by Baltimore standards, has had his share of trouble. Federal authorities say he's been convicted 11 previous crimes. On Thursday, a judge sent him away again, this time for 16 years for selling drugs and possessing a gun.
His record spans two pages of the Maryland judiciary court website -- convictions mostly for drugs and assault. He's never made his way into the newspapers.
Here is what the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office has to say about the now 12-time convicted criminal:
U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz sentenced Barry Murel, age 49, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 16 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and heroin, and for illegally possessing a gun and ammunition. Judge Motz enhanced Murel’s sentence upon finding that he is an armed career criminal, based on 11 previous convictions for narcotics and violent crime offenses.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Mark Chait of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein; and Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III.
“ATF and our partners are committed to taking the worst of the worst off the streets, as is evident by Mr. Murel's significant sentence,” says ATF Special Agent in Charge Mark Chait.
According to evidence presented to Judge Motz during Murel’s two day bench trial, on June 13, 2009, law enforcement was planning to execute a search warrant at Murel’s home in the 4100 block of Hayward Avenue in Baltimore. Detectives located Murel standing on the corner of the 3500 block of W. Belvedere Avenue and he was arrested. A search of Murel recovered two plastic bags containing crack cocaine, three clear plastic bags containing heroin, and $85. A subsequent search of Murel’s home located a Ruger, model Super Redhawk, .44 Remington Magnum caliber revolver handgun, loaded with four .44 Remington Magnum caliber cartridges, in the rear bedroom, which Murel indicated was his bedroom. Murel had previously been convicted of a felony and was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the ATF, Baltimore Police Department and Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in this investigation and thanked Assistant United States Attorneys John W. Sippel, Jr. and Peter M. Nothstein, who prosecuted the case.
