Gang ‘field marshal’ sentenced to two years

Judge cites ‘mercy’ for woman, who has cancer

A woman who helped oversee operations for the Black Guerrilla Family gang is headed to federal prison.

On Friday, U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Kimberly McIntosh, 47, to two years in prison, citing “an element of mercy” for the woman, who has Stage 3 breast cancer. She has been receiving chemotherapy treatments since April and is scheduled to have a double mastectomy.

McIntosh was first indicted in 2010 in connection with her activities for the Black Guerrilla Family. That indictment revealed the scope of the gang’s influence in the city. It came three years before a sweeping indictment charged numerous gang members and corrections officers at the Balti- more City Detention Center.

McIntosh, who worked at a West Baltimore health care center, served as a “field marshal” who enforced gang discipline, helped oversee drug trafficking and hosted meetings of high-ranking members at her home, where they discussed drug dealing, robberies and retaliation against rivals, according court documents.

She pleaded guilty in 2011 to participating in the affairs of a racketeering enterprise, and in 2014 was released from prison and began a term of supervised release. In June 2015, the federal Bureau of Prisons investigative unit contacted McIntosh’s probation officer after it learned she had sent more than $4,000 to 36 inmates, including several of the co-defendants from her BGF case, the Maryland U.S. attorney’s office said.

On Oct. 20, 2015, police searched McIntosh’s home, believing she was still involved in BGF operations, and found 11 grams of heroin, packaged for street-level sale, in her bedroom, authorities said.

She was charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin while on supervised release; she pleaded guilty in January.

On Friday, McIntosh appeared in court wearing a light-blue prison uniform and a white cloth around her head. She said she did not intend to act on behalf of the gang but was merely helping families of those in prison send money because she was familiar with the system. She said she was unaware she was violating the terms of her release by communicating with individuals whom she knew outside of the gang.

McIntosh said she remained in contact with one man identified by authorities as a BGF member because she was godmother to his son. Another member of the gang, she said, had added her to his visitation list at a prison facility, which she said she did not initiate. Another man was the father of her youngest son, she said.

“I really have learned my lesson,” McIn- tosh told the judge. She spoke of the “cruel and unusual punishment” she has endured being treated in a prison medical facility. As a result of her cancer treatment, she is housed by herself in a windowless room 23 hours a day, she told the judge. “Please allow me to go home.”

She also spoke about missed time with her family. She had missed her daughter’s wedding and will miss her youngest son’s first day of prekindergarten, she said.

The judge expressed concern that McIntosh continues to communicate with known gang members. He said breaking up communication among members is important to stopping the gang, and said the court must consider deterrence.

After her sentence was read, McIntosh wiped tears from her eyes. She turned back toward her eldest son and mouthed to him, “I’m sorry.”