Man Serving Life for Detective's Murder Receives Additional 10-Year Sentence for Fraud

BALTIMORE — Brandon Grimes, a Baltimore man already sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a police detective, has been handed an additional 10 years behind bars after attempting to fabricate evidence in a bid for exoneration.

State's Attorney Ivan Bates announced the conviction following a jury trial that spanned three days. Grimes was found guilty of multiple charges, including evidence tampering and identity fraud.

Grimes is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole, along with an additional 18 years, stemming from his 2008 conviction for the fatal shooting of Baltimore City Police Detective Troy Lamont Chesley Sr. The incident occurred on January 9, 2007, in the 4500 block of Fairfax Road.

According to prosecutors, Grimes initiated his fraudulent scheme in February 2018. He allegedly created false ballistics documents and submitted them to the Baltimore City Circuit Court in an effort to overturn his conviction. His goal was to secure his release and claim nearly $1.5 million from the State of Maryland.

In March 2024, Grimes filed for a Writ of Actual Innocence, asserting that new ballistic evidence had come to light, suggesting he had also been shot during the incident that killed Detective Chesley. The petition included a so-called Bullet Report, which Grimes claimed demonstrated that both he and the detective were victims.

However, the Conviction Integrity Unit of the State's Attorney's Office determined that the report was fraudulent. They referred the case to Baltimore Police homicide detectives for further investigation.

Investigators found numerous inconsistencies in the document, including forged signatures of firearms examiners who had no connection to the report. Additionally, the property numbers cited did not align with official records, and the report's format differed significantly from genuine Baltimore Police ballistics documents.

Further investigation revealed recorded phone calls in which Grimes discussed his plans to fabricate documents and secure his release, as well as obtain funds from the state.

Since his conviction, Grimes has filed numerous post-conviction motions seeking release, all of which have been denied by the courts.

Reported by HarborBeat based on WBFF (source).