Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Baltimore, Maryland- U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Delonte Wheeler, age 28, of Baltimore, Maryland to seven years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, on April 30, 2019, law enforcement observed Wheeler and an associate working together to distribute narcotics through several hand-to-hand transactions on the block of 1600 Moreland Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland. 

As officers approached Wheeler and his associate, Wheeler entered a vehicle and drove away from the area.  Wheeler fled to a neighboring residential area where he attempted to discard two bags in a resident’s trashcan and his car keys at another resident’s garage.  Soon after, Wheeler was detained by law enforcement.

A Baltimore Police Department officer retrieved the two bags Wheeler attempted to conceal.  The BPD officer recovered a 9mm pistol loaded with 12 cartridges as well as 82 plastic bags of marijuana from the first bag.  The second bag Wheeler attempted to conceal contained 23 plastic containers of marijuana.  In sum, officers recovered approximately 459 grams of marijuana.

As stated in his plea agreement, Wheeler admitted that he possessed marijuana with the intent to distribute and possessed the firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the ATF and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey McCulley who prosecuted the case.

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