Bowie Felon Exiled to 10 Years in Prison for Selling Ammunition to a Felon

Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus sentenced Phillip Rudolph Johnson, Jr., age 43, of Bowie, Maryland, today to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for selling ammunition to a prohibited person.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Richard Marianos of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Washington Field Division; Colonel Marcus L. Brown, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Special Agent in Charge William Winter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

According to his plea agreement, on September 26, 2011, Johnson, who had previously been convicted of a felony, bought 50 rounds of 9 mm ammunition from a gun dealer in Waldorf, Maryland. Johnson subsequently sold or disposed of the ammunition to another individual who Johnson knew had previously been convicted of a felony.

On December 8, 2011, ATF agents and Maryland State troopers executed a search warrant at Johnson’s home and seized two semi-automatic handguns, two revolvers and 196 rounds of various ammunition.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the ATF, Maryland State Police and HSI Baltimore for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Mara Zusman Greenberg and Special Assistant United States Attorney Paul K. Nitze, who prosecuted the case.