Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
ATLANTA – Keith Pharms, a previously convicted felon, also known as “B-Boy,” has been sentenced to federal prison for assaulting a federal task force officer with a firearm during a car theft.
“Pharms is a repeat violent offender who callously threatened the safety of citizens and a law enforcement officer,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our office is grateful for the exemplary collaborative efforts and sacrificial service of our federal and local law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to especially protect our communities from dangerous criminals.”
“Anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer is dangerous and an extreme threat to public safety. Stopping violent criminals, like Pharms, is one of the most important things we can do to protect our communities,” said Sean Burke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Thankfully, no one—including our Task Force officer—was injured during Pharms’ act of terror. Atlanta is a safer community with him off the streets.”
“This case underscores the importance of collaborative efforts among local, state, and federal agencies to hold violent offenders accountable and protect our neighborhoods from gun violence,” said Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum. “Working with our partners is vital to ensure justice is served and Atlanta remains a safe place for everyone.”
“Gun violence remains a threat to the safety and security of our communities,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Jones. “ATF will remain steadfast in working alongside our partners to disrupt and dismantle violent criminal activity, ensuring that offenders like Pharms are held accountable under the law.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: On February 24, 2022, Pharms, eight days after his release from a state prison in Georgia, used his mother’s car, a Chevrolet SS, to steal a Dodge Charger from a garage in a midtown Atlanta complex. An 18-year-old co-defendant drove the Chevy, while another co-defendant, Jokava Harris, accompanied Pharms to the garage. Harris then used a key programmer to steal the Dodge Charger. The 18-year-old trailed the stolen Dodge Charger in the Chevy with Pharms in the passenger seat acting as an armed escort.
Based on recent activity of stolen cars, an FBI task force officer was surveilling the area when he observed the two vehicles traveling in tandem. The officer then began to follow the vehicles when Pharms fired multiple times out of the window of the Chevy. Despite being fired upon, the officer continued to trail the vehicles. As the officer entered a curve in the road, he realized that Pharms and his co-defendants were waiting to ambush him. More gunshots were fired, striking the officer’s vehicle with a bullet that narrowly missed his headrest.
The stolen Charger and Chevy were later located by Atlanta Police Department officers, however, all three defendants had abandoned the vehicles and fled on foot, eluding arrest. The three defendants were later arrested and Pharms’ co-defendants both pleaded guilty and were sentenced by the Court.
While detained by the U.S. Marshals Service awaiting trial, Pharms possessed contraband cellphones and on one occasion used a cellphone to re-post on social media the name of a witness and a partial copy of a report of the information the witness provided to law enforcement, along with the image of a rat. During his detention, a handcuff key was also found in Pharms’ cell, causing authorities to be concerned that he might try to escape.
Keith Pharms, aka “B-Boy,” 26, of Atlanta, Georgia was sentenced by U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee to 15 years, two months, and 10 days in prison followed by three years of supervised release. A federal jury convicted Pharms on September 26, 2024, of assault on a federal officer, carrying and using a firearm during a crime of violence, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a contraband cellphone, and possession of an escape tool.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Atlanta Police Department, with valuable assistance provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Plummer and Jessica C. Morris prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.