Suspect Indicted in Witness Slaying; FBI Report Given to Defense Lawyers Allegedly Leaked
A suspect has been indicted in the slaying of an undercover police informant who was murdered after an FBI report identifying him by name was reportedly circulated throughout his Baltimore neighborhood.
It isn’t clear exactly how the report identifying Kareem Guest as an informant became public. However, a filing in federal court in Baltimore said prosecutors disclosed, as required, a nine-page witness statement by Guest to lawyers for two defendants in drug cases, reports the Baltimore Sun.
One of the two lawyers told the newspaper earlier this year that he had shared information from the report with his client, as permitted, but did not provide his client with a copy. The other attorney couldn’t be reached, the Sun reports, because he has left his firm and his former phone numbers aren’t working.
“This case tragically highlights the risks that arise when sensitive information about witnesses in criminal cases is not protected,” said U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein in a statement today announcing the indictment.
It hasn’t yet been decided whether to seek the death penalty against Antonio “Mack” Hall, 30, in the Sept. 2009 slaying of Kareem Guest, 31.
