10.18.11: Harris Sentenced to 17 More Years for Cell Phone Possession in Prison
October 18, 2011 -- For possessing a contraband cell phone while incarcerated, Tavon Harris has been sentenced to a total of 19 years in prison, Baltimore City State's Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein announced today.
On February 8, 2011, during a routine sweep at the Baltimore City Detention Center, Harris was found to be in possession of a cell phone and charger, which are prohibited by law. He was in jail at the time awaiting trial on a charge of attempted murder. Late last month, a Baltimore jury convicted Harris of cell phone possession, and Judge M. Brooke Murdock sentenced him to two years in prison. Then, on October 14, 2011, Judge Lynn K. Stewart sentenced him to an additional 17 years for violating the terms of his probation by illegally possessing the phone. The two terms are to run consecutively.
"The days when prisoners could use cell phones from behind bars to orchestrate crimes on our streets are coming to an end, thanks to a concerted and collaborative effort by all of our partners in law enforcement," State's Attorney Bernstein said. "This is another demonstration that we will use all of our prosecutorial tools to seek and secure substantial sentences."
Just last month, Governor Martin O'Malley announced that Maryland has received $350,000 in federal funds to intensify the effort to tackle the problem of cell phones in Baltimore prisons. The grant will be used to fund a dedicated part-time assistant state's attorney in Baltimore City, two investigators in the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services' Internal Investigative Unit, and one support staffer.
"Better cooperation between DPSCS and our office will result in better cases and outcomes," Bernstein said.