FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACTAUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885

JULY 19, 2007

LONNY BAXTER PLEADS GUILTY TO GUN VIOLATION

Cannot Own, Possess or Use a Firearm

Greenbelt, Maryland - Lonny Baxter, age 28, of Rockville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to delivering an undeclared firearm to a common carrier for interstate transportation, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to the plea agreement, Baxter was a professional basketball player in Houston, Texas from September 2005 to February 2006. He was not a federally licensed importer, manufacturer, dealer or collector of firearms. In February of 2006, Baxter and a friend, T.G., went to a gun store in Houston. At Baxter’s request, T.G. completed a firearms transaction form as the listed purchaser of a Beretta 9mm pistol and Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun. Baxter paid for the firearms. In July of 2006, Baxter and a friend, F.J., went to the gun store. At Baxter’s request, F.J. completed a firearms transaction form as the listed purchaser of two Glock pistols, a Para Ordnance pistol and a Bushmaster rifle. Baxter paid for these firearms as well.

On July 4, 2006, Baxter and F.J. went to a FedEx/Kinko store in Houston. At Baxter’s request, F.J. consigned two packages containing the firearms to Federal Express for shipment to another friend in College Park, Maryland. Baxter failed to advise Federal Express that the packages contained firearms. Several days after delivery, Baxter picked up the Federal Express packages from his friend’s residence in College Park. Baxter was arrested in August 2006 in the District of Columbia in possession of one of the Glock pistols after the gun was fired in the air from the car he was riding in.

As a result of his guilty plea, Baxter will not be permitted to own, possess or use a firearm.

Baxter faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte has scheduled sentencing for August 31, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. As part of his plea agreement, Baxter forfeits the Beretta 9mm pistol and Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun. Baxter previously forfeited the other firearms in connection with the District of Columbia case.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for its investigative work, and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart A. Berman, who is prosecuting the case.