JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala. — A man from Jefferson County, who has a long criminal record, has been found guilty of soliciting the murder of a federal prosecutor in Birmingham.
As per justice.gov, A federal jury has rendered a guilty verdict against Michael Roman Black, 32, for charges of threatening to murder and soliciting the murder of a federal prosecutor. Additionally, Black was found guilty of making false statements to a federal agent. The announcement came from Acting Middle District of Alabama U.S. Attorney Kevin P. Davidson on Friday.
The Middle District prosecutors handled the case as it involved a threat against a prosecutor in Birmingham.
In a previous incident that occurred in Bessemer, Black, who had residences in Bessemer and Hueytown, was convicted in state court for manslaughter. This incident involved the shooting death of an 18-year-old, which took place in 2011. At the time of the incident, Black was also 18 years old.
In February 2023, court records reveal that Black was incarcerated in Hoover following federal charges filed against him by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama, based in Birmingham.
Black was being held on drug and gun charges.
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Law enforcement became aware of the threat and, upon verifying its legitimacy and seriousness, formulated a plan to effectively prevent the planned murder.
Black attempted to cover up his plan by providing false statements when interrogated by federal agents.
On March 28, 2023, Black was indicted by a federal grand jury in Birmingham. The charges against him include making a threat to murder a federal official, solicitation to commit murder, and making false statements to a federal agent.
According to Davidson, threatening a prosecutor or law enforcement professional is a grave offense and a direct assault on our justice system. He expressed his gratitude for the diligent efforts of law enforcement in discovering and preventing this plot to harm a public servant who was simply striving for justice on behalf of the American people.
Black could potentially face a maximum sentence of 10 years for the charge of threatening to murder a federal official. Additionally, there is the possibility of a 20-year sentence for soliciting a murder, and up to five years for making a false statement to a federal agent.
The court has scheduled his sentencing for December 12th.
The case was investigated by several law enforcement agencies including the DEA, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the ATF, Hoover police, and Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Geer, III from the Middle District of Alabama is handling the prosecution.
In 2011, Black faced charges of murder in connection with the shooting death of 18-year-old Luman Jones. However, in 2014, he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter and received a 10-year prison sentence.
The exact number of years he served remains unclear.
Black, who has previous convictions for burglary and drug possession, is still facing charges in state court.
