PHILADELPHIA, PA (PRESS RELEASE) — A Philadelphia judge found Raheem Hutchinson (DOB 4/26/1999) guilty of Possession with Intent to Distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and oxycodone, as well as various illegal firearm charges after a recent bench trial. Hutchinson is a known associate of a street group known to law enforcement for operating in the city’s Cobbs Creek section.
On May 5, 2021, plainclothes police officers detailed to the Philadelphia Police Department’s Criminal Intelligence Unit observed Hutchinson near the intersection of 60th and Pine Streets. Hutchinson, who is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior gun convictions for which he served jail time, discarded a 9mm Glock semiautomatic handgun. He was detained by police in a nearby parking lot.
Southwest detectives obtained a search warrant for Hutchinson’s blue Honda Accord. Narcotics were subsequently confiscated from the vehicle, including 50 small clear plastic containers with flip up lids containing crack cocaine in addition to fentanyl.
“I am grateful to Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey Palmer of the Gun Violence Task Force, Southwest Detectives, and the Philadelphia Police Department for their dedication and thorough investigation that led to the arrest and successful prosecution of Raheem Hutchinson,” said District Attorney Larry Krasner. “And to the members of street groups in West Philly and across the city, we have a message for you: Stay on a criminal path and there is a jail cell waiting for you. If you want to choose a different path, however, there are resources available to you. It’s not too late to change.”
“We’re very thankful to the Court for recognizing the threat that Mr. Hutchinson poses to the people of West Philadelphia,” said ADA Jeffrey Palmer. “This defendant has no qualms about illegally possessing a firearm. Additionally, this defendant freely admitted to the Court that while he does not use narcotics, he has absolutely no problem selling this poison to people in the community who are struggling with addiction.”
Hutchinson received a total sentence of six to fifteen years of state incarceration by the Hon. Giovanni Campbell in May.