Defendant Convicted After a Four-Day Trial in December 2021
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Earl Leroy Griffin, Jr., age 45, of Sunderland, Maryland, yesterday to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. A federal jury convicted Griffin of that charge on December 17, 2021, which qualified him for armed career criminal status and enhanced sentencing guidelines.
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; Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans; and Calvert County State’s Attorney Robert Harvey.
According to the evidence presented at his four-day trial, on September 5, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Griffin’s residence and on his vehicle as part of a drug investigation. In Griffin’s locked vehicle, law enforcement recovered a stolen .40 caliber handgun, loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition; powder cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana; and three Maryland driver’s licenses bearing Griffin’s name and photo. The vehicle was registered to Griffin. When he was searched incident to his arrest, Griffin had the keys to his vehicle and $1,870 in cash in his pockets.
Griffin had four previous felony drug convictions and knew that as a result, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.
The jury acquitted Griffin on charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, and the Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Morgan and Timothy F. Hagan, Jr., 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-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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