Man acquitted of Dante Barksdale murder hit with federal machine gun charge

BALTIMORE — A Baltimore man once acquitted for the murder of Safe Streets leader Dante Barksdale is again in legal trouble.

Baltimore Police and the ATF were surveilling Garrick Powell since March.

On April 19 an officer monitoring live CCTV footage reportedly witnessed Powell adjusting a concealed firearm in his waistband.

This information was passed along to other officers on the street.

Those officers pulled Powell's car over as he left a home in the 500 block of Patterson Park Avenue.

On the driver's side floor board police discovered a loaded Polymer 80 handgun, also known as a ghost gun.

Police say the gun was equipped with a switch that converted it into a fully automatic weapon.

Inside the car trunk was an extended magazine loaded with nearly three dozen 9mm cartridges.

Powell was placed under arrest for illegally carrying a firearm, for which he was prohibited from possesing due to a prior felony drug conviction.

When tried for the shooting death of Barksdale last May, prosecutors argued they'd found the murder weapon under Powell's car seat.

That also happened to be a ghost gun, but the jury failed to convict despite additional video and cell tower evidence being presented in court.

MORE: Jury acquits man accused of murdering Baltimore City Safe Streets Worker Dante Barksdale

About three months after the acquittal, Powell himself was shot in the 1000 block of Gay Street prompting further investigation.

While being transported back to the police station for this latest arrest, officers noticed Powell in possession of a plastic bag with suspected crack cocaine.

Police in charging documents allege Powell tried destroying the evidence to avoid its detection, yet it does not appear he was charged with any drug related offenses.

On April 26 the U.S. Department of Justice stepped in, taking the case against Powell federal, charging him with two counts including illegal possession of a machine gun.

Police previously mentioned Powell's lengthy criminal record including a 2012 homicide charge. Prior to Barksdale's murder, Powell was already on home monitoring related to another drug and gun possession case in Anne Arundel County.

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