By Njura Kinyua
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Six defendants have been convicted of federal firearms and fentanyl cases in the U.S. District Court in Baltimore over the past two weeks, the U.S. Justice Department announced Friday.
“The successful prosecutions and convictions in the six cases demonstrates the federal government’s commitment to addressing gun violence and the trafficking of fentanyl in American cities,” Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner for the Maryland District said in a statement.
According to the Department of Justice, 31-year-old Sedrick Sutton was sentenced to five years in federal prison for possession of a stolen firearm; Daiquan Mayo, 24, was sentenced to 50 months in prison and three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm; Damien Parker, 23, was sentenced to five years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm; and Jeffrey Keyser, 30, was sentenced to 44 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
George Graham, 31, is scheduled to be sentenced for possession of a firearm as a prohibited person, and 31-year-old Qarier Lovelace is expected to plead guilty for being a felon in possession of a firearm, the Justice Department said.
The cases were a part of initiatives designed to reduce gun violence and stop fentanyl sales in Baltimore by Maryland’s U.S. Attorney’s office, the Department of Justice said. Through a program called Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), stakeholders work together to identify and address the most pressing violent crime problems in the community.
“Our strategy to reduce violent crime in Baltimore relies on enforcement efforts to prosecute those individuals who are driving the violence and importing deadly drugs, as well as community outreach and prevention efforts to help potential offenders make better choices for themselves and their families and communities,” Lenzner said. “All of us in Baltimore are in this fight against violent crime together.”