Delaware News

DOJ secures over a dozen convictions for violent gun offender following nine-month manhunt

Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Wednesday, February 28, 2024


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A Wilmington man has been convicted of several felonies, including three separate counts of Attempted Murder, Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Wednesday.  

“An extremely violent gun offender will spend the rest of his life in prison because of excellent collaboration between Wilmington PD, prosecutors, and federal law enforcement,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. “These cases remind us of the staggering harm that a small number of profoundly violent people can inflict on our communities. We remain committed to taking them off the streets. I’m grateful to the prosecutors and detectives who brought this case home.”  

“The pleas and conviction in this case are the result of relentless efforts on the part of our detectives, and a strong partnership with prosecutors – with a shared objective of combatting gun violence,” said Chief Wilfredo Campos. “This case involved particularly violent acts that posed a significant threat to safety of our community, and I am appreciative of everyone who was involved in holding these suspects accountable.” 

 On February 14, Bakr Dillard was convicted in connection with an April 2022 shooting incident in which Dillard and two associates fired over 15 rounds into a parked car occupied by three individuals on the corner of 7th and Monroe Streets in Wilmington. Dillard, 42, was convicted at trial of three counts of Attempted Murder 1st Degree, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Conspiracy 1st Degree, Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited, Possession of Ammunition by a Person Prohibited, and Tampering with Physical Evidence. 

On January 22, Dillard was convicted in a separate trial of three counts of Tier 3 Drug Dealing, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited, Conspiracy 2nd Degree, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, following the discovery of a cache of weapons, drugs and distribution materials during the execution of a search warrant for an unrelated shooting case. 

Dillard’s convictions follow a manhunt that ended on January 20, when he was arrested during the execution of a search warrant by members of the Wilmington Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives after attempting evade arrest and dispose of evidence including a handgun. Police recovered over 500 grams of crack cocaine, 54 grams of heroin/fentanyl mixture, over 3.5 kilograms of marijuana, 2 additional firearms along with ammunition, and a vast amount of packaging material for distributing narcotics.  

Violent crime statewide and in Wilmington has fallen precipitously in recent years: violent crime in Delaware reached an all-time low in 2022, including a 20% reduction in shootings since 2020. In 2023, Wilmington reached a 20-year low in murders. 

Dillard is eligible to be sentenced as a habitual offender and faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 89 years. 

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DOJ secures over a dozen convictions for violent gun offender following nine-month manhunt

Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Wednesday, February 28, 2024


Navy blue background featuring the Delaware state seal in the center

A Wilmington man has been convicted of several felonies, including three separate counts of Attempted Murder, Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Wednesday.  

“An extremely violent gun offender will spend the rest of his life in prison because of excellent collaboration between Wilmington PD, prosecutors, and federal law enforcement,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. “These cases remind us of the staggering harm that a small number of profoundly violent people can inflict on our communities. We remain committed to taking them off the streets. I’m grateful to the prosecutors and detectives who brought this case home.”  

“The pleas and conviction in this case are the result of relentless efforts on the part of our detectives, and a strong partnership with prosecutors – with a shared objective of combatting gun violence,” said Chief Wilfredo Campos. “This case involved particularly violent acts that posed a significant threat to safety of our community, and I am appreciative of everyone who was involved in holding these suspects accountable.” 

 On February 14, Bakr Dillard was convicted in connection with an April 2022 shooting incident in which Dillard and two associates fired over 15 rounds into a parked car occupied by three individuals on the corner of 7th and Monroe Streets in Wilmington. Dillard, 42, was convicted at trial of three counts of Attempted Murder 1st Degree, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Conspiracy 1st Degree, Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited, Possession of Ammunition by a Person Prohibited, and Tampering with Physical Evidence. 

On January 22, Dillard was convicted in a separate trial of three counts of Tier 3 Drug Dealing, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited, Conspiracy 2nd Degree, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, following the discovery of a cache of weapons, drugs and distribution materials during the execution of a search warrant for an unrelated shooting case. 

Dillard’s convictions follow a manhunt that ended on January 20, when he was arrested during the execution of a search warrant by members of the Wilmington Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives after attempting evade arrest and dispose of evidence including a handgun. Police recovered over 500 grams of crack cocaine, 54 grams of heroin/fentanyl mixture, over 3.5 kilograms of marijuana, 2 additional firearms along with ammunition, and a vast amount of packaging material for distributing narcotics.  

Violent crime statewide and in Wilmington has fallen precipitously in recent years: violent crime in Delaware reached an all-time low in 2022, including a 20% reduction in shootings since 2020. In 2023, Wilmington reached a 20-year low in murders. 

Dillard is eligible to be sentenced as a habitual offender and faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 89 years. 

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Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.