Baltimore Felon Sentenced to Almost Six Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Lydia K. Griggs today sentenced Marquis Johnson, age 34, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 71 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; and Acting Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department.

“The actions of the DEA and the Baltimore City Police Department, in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, literally stopped a felon with a bulletproof vest before he used a gun on Baltimore’s streets,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron.  “We will swiftly respond to those who would bring violence to our communities.” 

According to his guilty plea, on September 21, 2021, Johnson robbed someone who was standing near his residence on Chapel Street in Baltimore City.  Immediately after the robbery, Johnson claimed in a call he made to a friend from his cell phone that 10 to 15 shots were fired at him.  The call was intercepted as part of a months-long DEA investigation of several individuals, including Johnson.

As detailed in the plea agreement, Johnson asked his associates to help him find the individual who shot at him so he could retaliate, telling them, “I already know which one it was.”  Shortly after the calls, DEA investigators saw Johnson walking in East Baltimore along with several of his associates.  While investigators watched Johnson, he got into an argument with the driver of a van on the street.  Knowing that Johnson was on his way to retaliate against the individual who shot at him and was most likely armed, investigators stopped Johnson and conducted a pat down for weapons.  Investigators recovered a .45 caliber handgun loaded with 12 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition, with one in the chamber, from Johnson’s waistband.  Johnson was also wearing a bulletproof vest.

Johnson knew that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition as the result of a previous felony conviction.  Further, the investigation showed that the gun had been reported stolen on June 21, 2021.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kim Y. Oldham and Ari Evans, who prosecuted the case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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