Fake Money Payment in a Drug Deal Ends With a Shooting

By Andrew Michaels - September 29, 2023
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Shooting | Suspects |

A Baltimore City Circuit Court judge set a January 2024 trial date for 27-year-old James Sutton on Sept. 29 after the attempted homicide defendant rejected a plea offer of 35 years incarceration.

Represented by defense attorney Andre Mahasa, Sutton appeared in Judge Melissa M. Phinn’s reception court Friday morning when the prosecution presented its plea offer of life, suspending all but 30 years, and five years of supervised probation for attempted first-degree murder and a consecutive five years without parole and five years of supervised probation for firearm use in a felony or violent crime.

Under the plea, the defendant would also be required to register as a gun offender, stay away from the victim and have no contact with him.

Sutton rejected the plea offer and counsel agreed to begin his trial on Jan. 16, 2024, for three days before Judge Christopher L. Panos.

Court documents state Sutton sold marijuana to the victim on July 13, 2022. After the transaction, the victim told Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers, he was driving on the 700 block of W. Saratoga Street where the defendant cut him off in a Ford Taurus.

Sutton then got out of his car, approached the victim’s car and held the victim at gunpoint accusing him of giving Sutton fake money.

Sutton then demanded the victim return the marijuana he purchased. Although he complied, the victim was running away when Sutton allegedly shot the victim in the ankle.

The defendant is charged with attempted first and second-degree murder, first and second-degree assault, firearm use in a felony or violent crime, reckless endangerment, illegal possession of ammo and discharging firearms in addition to two counts of having a handgun in a vehicle and four counts of illegal possession of a firearm.