Brandon Grimes was convicted of the murder of a Baltimore City Police Detective in 2008
Baltimore, Md. (November 4, 2025) – Today, State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates and his Conviction Integrity Unit were joined by Baltimore City Police to announce the indictment of defendant Brandon Grimes for alleged attempts to secure an exoneration and subsequent financial benefits through Identity Fraud, Attempted Felony Theft, and Evidence Tampering. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at trial.
Grimes was convicted in 2008 for the fatal shooting of Baltimore Police Detective Troy Lamont Chesley Sr. at the 4500 block of Fairfax Road on January 9, 2007, and was sentenced to Life plus 20 years. In February 2018, the defendant allegedly devised a scheme to secure his exoneration and release from prison fraudulently, and to defraud the State of Maryland of approximately $1,462,896 by creating and submitting fake ballistics documents to the Circuit Court of Baltimore City.
“The allegations in this indictment are incredibly serious and reflect an attempt by the defendant to make a mockery of the criminal justice system and put the accreditation of our crime lab at risk,” said State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates. “Thanks to the diligent work of our Conviction Integrity Unit, this alleged criminal deception was caught before a dangerous offender with a lengthy criminal record could be potentially released from incarceration and steal taxpayer dollars.”
Court documents allege that in March of 2024, Brandon Grimes filed a petition for Writ of Actual Innocence with the Baltimore City Circuit Court Clerk’s Office. In the petition, Grimes alleged that in February of 2018, an Assistant State’s Attorney turned over various pieces of newly discovered evidence she found, and amongst those documents was a ballistic report she claimed she found in some box somewhere...’ The petition goes on to allege that the Baltimore Police Department suppressed a ballistics report showing Grimes was also a victim shot by the same weapon that killed Detective Chesley. To support these false claims, Grimes referred to and attached ‘Exhibit 1A’, which was a purported Bullet Report to show that both he and Detective Chesley were victims of the shooting that occurred in January of 2007. Grimes’ Writ of Actual Innocence was then turned over to the Conviction Integrity Unit of the State’s Attorney’s Office.
“As records and memories age, older cases can become susceptible to schemes intended to game the system – to the detriment of victims’ families,” said Lauren Lipscomb, Chief of the Conviction Integrity Unit. “As in every case, our skilled CIU team conducted a thorough investigation, which prompted the detection of this alleged ruse here.”
The Conviction Integrity Unit completed an internal review of the defendant’s filed Bullet Report in July of 2025. Chief Lipscomb forwarded the findings to the Baltimore Police Department’s Homicide Unit to request an investigation.
“The actions alleged in this case are egregious and an insult to the memory of Detective Troy Chesley, his family and all those that worked alongside him at BPD,” said Police Commissioner Richard Worley. “I’m grateful for the hard work of our crime lab, detectives and partners in the State’s Attorney’s Office for their persistence in uncovering this scheme and protecting the integrity of our investigations."
According to court documents, the SAO and BPD investigation revealed several inconsistencies in the defendant’s Bullet Report, including the names and signatures on the report from two firearms examiners who did not prepare or sign the report. Additionally, the property numbers on the report did not match, and the report’s style was inconsistent with that of an authentic Bullet Report form.
Further investigation, detailed in the charging documents, alleges that Grimes convinced various persons that he was the victim of a miscarriage of justice. Grimes then allegedly used those persons to assist him with his scheme. Mr. Grimes allegedly made recorded phone calls in which he references getting out of prison, securing money from the State, and fabricating documentation.
Grimes has filed numerous post-trial motions since his 2009 conviction seeking release. All were denied by the court.
For charging documents related to this case, click here.