Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Baltimore Felon Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a Stolen Firearm
Baltimore, Maryland –U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Douglas Sparrow, age 35, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 100 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegal possession of a stolen firearm.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to get guns out of the hands of drug dealers and off of our streets, in order to reduce violent crime in our neighborhoods. If you use a gun, you could face federal time, where there is no parole—ever. Please, put down the guns and save a life—maybe even your own.”
According to his guilty plea, on March 1, 2018, law enforcement executed a search of Sparrow’s residence in Baltimore and recovered a stolen semi-automatic pistol and ammunition in the couch, as well as marijuana that Sparrow planned to distribute. Sparrow possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking and knew that the firearm was stolen. Sparrow also had at least two prior felony convictions and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Moore, who prosecuted the case.
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