AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885

DECEMBER 7, 2007

FELON SELLING STOLEN FIREARMS SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON

Six Stolen Guns Sold in Baltimore County

Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr. sentenced Ronald Lee Hamby, age 26, of Hanover, Pennsylvania today to 15 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of firearms, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Judge Quarles enhanced Hamby’s sentence upon finding that he is an armed career criminal based on three prior violent crime or narcotics convictions.

“It is illegal for convicted felons to possess firearms. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to get armed career criminals like Ronald Hamby off the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein.

Gregory K. Gant, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives stated, “We will continue our efforts to not only investigate those prohibited persons who unlawfully possess or traffic firearms; but also work with our prosecutorial partners to target those violent offenders who have significant criminal records.”

According to his guilty plea, on November 2, 2006 Hamby sold to an acquaintance in Baltimore County, Maryland: a Stevens Model 311 shotgun; a Remington Model 788, .243 caliber rifle; a Mossberg Model 395KB shotgun; a Western Field Model M855, .22 caliber rifle; and a Sturm Ruger Model MKI, .22 caliber pistol. The guns had been stolen earlier that day from a residence in Hanover, Pennsylvania. On November 30, 2006, Hamby sold a Mossberg Model 500A, 12 gauge shotgun, which had been stolen earlier that day from a residence in West Manheim, Pennsylvania, to an acquaintance in Baltimore County, Maryland.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, Baltimore County Police Department and West Manheim Township, Pennsylvania Police Department for their investigative work, and commended Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Welsh, who prosecuted the case.