Department of Justice

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Delando Lee Brown, age 39, of Randallstown, Maryland to eight years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute more than 300 grams of fentanyl.  According to the Drug Enforcement Administration .02 milligrams is a lethal dose of fentanyl.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Baltimore City Sheriff John Anderson.

According to his plea agreement, on May 19, 2019, Brown went to a Middle River, Maryland gun range where he possessed and used several firearms including a 9mm handgun, a .22 caliber handgun, 50 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and 50 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition. Brown knew that he was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition as a result of a previous felony conviction.  Brown was subsequently indicted federally for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition and was detained pending trial.

In April 2020 Brown was released from pretrial detention pending trial.  However, while on pretrial release, Brown engaged in a conspiracy to traffic fentanyl. Specifically, on multiple occasions in October 2020, law enforcement observed Brown leaving a Baltimore apartment where narcotics were stored and traveling to drug shops to supply his customers with narcotics.  On October 16, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the stash location. Upon entering the apartment, law enforcement found Brown and another individual inside the apartment preparing drugs for bulk sale. In total, law enforcement seized 310 grams of fentanyl and $3,190 in drug proceeds.

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 praised the ATF, the DEA, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason D. Medinger, Patricia C. McLane, and Lindsey McCulley, who prosecuted the case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and programs to combat gun crime, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile.

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