Berlin man convicted on assault, firearms charges

SNOW HILL, Md. – A Berlin man was convicted on several charges on Wednesday, stemming from a November 2018 incident.

56-year-old Joseph Baker Sr. was found guilty of illegal possession of a rifle by a disqualified person, illegal possession of a rifle by a prohibited person, illegal possession of ammunition, and second degree assault.

On November 4, 2018, police were called to Libertytown Road for a report of a landlord/tenant dispute involving a weapon. On arrival, the victim/tenant told police that Baker, their landlord, had threatened to “blow the victim’s head off” while pointing a rifle at him. Baker was located near the area and a search of his home resulted in the recovery of a rifle, shotgun, and ammunition. A criminal record check revealed that Baker was prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition.

Sentencing has been postponed so that a pre-sentence investigation can be conducted, however we are told that Baker faces a total of 26 years behind bars at sentencing.