Baltimore felon sentenced for illegally possessing firearm (DOJ)

Baltimore, Maryland - A Baltimore man learned his fate in federal court, stemming from a firearm incident in the parking lot of a convenience store.

U.S. District Court Judge Adam B. Abelson sentenced Demond Thompson, 23, to 52 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person. Thompson, a convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, threw a loaded firearm across a populated parking lot of a convenience store when approached by police officers.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).

According to court documents, on December 21, 2025, BPD detectives were looking for Thompson in connection with an arrest warrant for failure to register as a gun offender. Detectives located Thompson walking on the sidewalk and attempted to speak with him. Then Thompson fled southbound into a populated Northwest Baltimore shopping-center parking lot.

As law enforcement pursued Thompson on foot, he reached into his front waistband, took out a firearm, and threw it across the parking lot. The firearm then hit the ground and landed next to a truck as a civilian stood in the doorway of the vehicle. When the firearm fell, the magazine base plate broke, causing 17 live rounds of ammunition to scatter on the ground. Law enforcement subsequently captured and arrested Thompson.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandria A. Bell and Jonathan S. Tsuei who prosecuted this federal case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md.

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