United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Khalif Ward, a 27-year-old resident of Philadelphia, has been sentenced to 46 months in prison for firearms offenses. The sentence was handed down by United States District Court Judge Joel H. Slomsky and includes three years of supervised release and a $25,000 fine.
Ward faced charges following his indictment in December 2023 on one count of possession of a machine gun and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. He pleaded guilty to these charges in October.
Known as "Leaf Ward" in the rap community, Ward committed these offenses while on release for a state case involving the illegal transfer of firearms. This followed an incident where he was found with a firearm after being shot in 2020.
Court documents reveal that on August 16, 2023, Ward drove a stolen vehicle to the Bahama Breeze restaurant at King of Prussia Mall. Officers conducting routine checks identified the car as stolen from Philadelphia and began towing it. As this occurred, Ward exited the restaurant with his girlfriend but ran back inside upon seeing police officers.
Inside the restaurant, an employee witnessed Ward placing a loaded Glock firearm into a kitchen trash can before discarding his hat nearby. Police pursued him through the establishment and apprehended him behind it. They recovered the loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol fitted with an illegal switch allowing automatic fire.
“Despite two prior gun convictions, Ward continued to wield these weapons," stated U.S. Attorney Romero. "Moreover, the pistol he tried to ditch when running from police was altered to enable automatic fire."
Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of ATF's Philadelphia Field Division commented: “Keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals is why the law prohibits felons from having firearms.”
The investigation involved multiple agencies including ATF, United States Secret Service, and Upper Merion Township Police Department. The prosecution team included Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Lanni, Everett Witherell, and Shayna Gannone.