My name is Brandon Ledford. I'm 29 currently, until this June when I'll be blessed with another birthday. I was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri and have currently been locked up for the last 14 years. I have until September of next year for a total of 15 1/2 years until once again I'll be anointed with my freedom. I was incarcerated at a very early age, so needless to say I've never had the chance to own my own car, house, ext. I'm excited, nervous, and very curious to see how life will be when I return to society. Truthfully, the feeling reminds me of something kind of like standing in line to ride a roller coaster for the first time. I'm excited and yet nervous at the same time.
I've never been married and have no children. I've never even seen a title that belongs to a vehicle before. I continue to tell myself "lean on God and not my own understanding, and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". All I can do is every day strive to be the best man I can be spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. I continually pray for wisdom and knowledge to lead and guide God's people like Solomon was. I pray for faith as strong as Abraham's, to be a man after God's own heart like David. In doing so, I know there is no way I can worry about what the world has to offer, good or bad.
I'm sure you are probably curious as to why I'm incarcerated. Hmm...where to begin. I wasn't always the man that I am today. Once upon a time, growing up in the streets of Kansas City, I was gangsta. I was a very dangerous man... I got involved in the gang life at an early age, not because life was all bad, even though more times than not it was definitely rough growing up in the hood; however, I was drawn to that lifestyle because of the riches and fame. By the age of 15, I was a full fledged stick up kid, pulling robberies left and right to finance the set, as it cost money to fund wars. Different cliques within the set were for different things. Some hustlers, some gunners, others stick up kids - That was me. We robbed stores, drug dealers, other gangsta's and at first it was a rush I became addicted to. Then one day it was just another part of my day like eating breakfast or getting dressed. Jewelry stores were being hit like crazy and millions of dollars in diamonds and cash were being transported to Vancouver Canada from Kansas City to be re-cut, crushed, and re-sold once again. How much did I make? Not nearly enough for me to give away this much of my life. However, whatever we had we returned to Kansas City with 2-3rds street value of what it was originally worth. This money financed drugs, guns, lawyers, so on and so on and then we each had our own cut of course.
Fast forward a few years ahead to July 2nd. There were sirens everywhere and guns drawn at the end of what was an "extreme" high speed chase. I was at the end of the road. By the end of that night, I was sitting in a cold, dark jail cell that smelled really bad for a $500,000 jewelry heist. This didn't faze me true to the streets. I'd been in situations like this before, for it all to be over eventually, but not this time. In the other room, men were telling the detectives every thing they wanted to know. Hours later the detectives were celebrating with one another for finally solving this "high profile case". "We got you now, Mr. Ledford," they said and still I was so dark and bitter that all I could think of was how I was going to beat this case. At the first court date the judge offered 4 life sentences like it was candy.
Years later still fighting the case, I was sitting in a cell during 23 hour lock down for just being crazy. I was fighting everything walking, C.O.'s, inmates, God, everyone. Then one day it hit me. I'm sitting in a prison within a prison, all for what? The hood? What did I ever get out of it other than homies dying and me in and out of jail and now facing so much time that I would die in prison. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was looking out of my window inside of my jail cell at the night sky as it blanketed Kansas City and prayed, I mean really prayed for the first time. For the first time in a long time I actually felt emotions other than the dark ones I'd always felt. I prayed, "God if you're real show up and show out. I'll give you one chance, show me what you can do." I'd like to say that instantly things changed and I had my "halo" but nope, things didn't change that drastically. Transformation came but not instantly.
I was jumped off the set in 2006 and 3 days later I joined God's army. I was given a 12 year sentence which ran consecutive of a 5 year one and everyday God has shown up and showed out. There are days the devil tempts me with the whole land as he did Jesus in Matthew 4 and like Him I can only bow down to God himself. Along the path I've met beautiful people, agents of the cross who share the "great commission" with me who are true blessings. There wouldn't be enough paper in the world to tell you of His grace that He has shown me. That is my story in a "nut shell".
Today I am washed in the blood of the Lamb. I still fall short of His glory, but I am a better man because of God in my life. Every day I strive to be a better man than yesterday and sometimes it's a battle, but it is always a war that's won. By His grace I've achieved a GED and I am going to school for building cabinets and modern wooden furniture. I'll be attending college once I get out and if it is His will, opening my own business.
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