Family Shooting Defendant Sentenced to Drug Treatment Program

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Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Stephen J. Sfekas reluctantly agreed to the plea offered on Dec. 4 to a defendant accused of shooting at his parents.

Kenard Wiley, 24, was charged with two counts each of attempted first- and second-degree murder, two counts each of first-degree assault, three counts of second-degree assault, three counts of reckless endangerment, two counts of firearm use in a felony violent crime, illegal possession of a regulated firearm, having a loaded handgun on his person, having a handgun on his person, having a loaded handgun in a vehicle, having a handgun in a vehicle, illegal possession of ammunition, discharging a gun within Baltimore City, malicious destruction of property valuing more than $1000 and malicious destruction of property valuing less than $1000 in connection to an incident on April 5.

Wiley accepted an offer of 20 years, suspending all but 18 months in DreamLife Treatment Center, an inpatient drug treatment facility, for first-degree assault. He will be under three months of supervised probation and must participate in drug screening and treatment. Wiley is to have no contact with the victims.

Judge Sfekas reluctantly agreed to the plea agreement saying, “You could’ve caused serious injury to people who are your blood, your family.”

As Judit Otvos, Wiley’s defense attorney, stated, the initial allegation was that Wiley shot into a vehicle his father and stepmother were driving.

Judge Sfekas also asked Otvos, why the plea offer didn’t include attempted murder, given the potentially lethal shooting?

Otvos likened the incident to reckless endangerment, given the defendant was on drugs at the time of the shooting. She also said that attempted murder requires intent to kill, which was not present.

Wiley’s father, stepmother and brother recanted their statements to police soon after the incident occurred.

Otvos added that the prosecution intended to address the problem “at the root,” instead of denying Wiley drug treatment services.

The prosecution said they would be willing to consider a motion to reduce Wiley’s sentence when he completes the program.

According to charging documents, Wiley’s stepmother and father said the incident began because of an argument between the defendant and his brother. His parents got into their car, and Wiley followed them in another car.

He cut them off on the 5600 block of McClean Boulevard, got out of his car and walked toward their car with a handgun. When his father accelerated, Wiley fired a shot into the bottom left of the windshield, causing $1,500 in damage.

After the shooting, Wiley’s parents went to a gas station on Eastern Parkway, where they found a Baltimore Police Department patrol car and informed the officer of what happened.