Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a Firearm With an Obliterated Serial Number and Ammunition
Officers Recovered a Semi-automatic Pistol and Ammunition From Covington
Baltimore, Maryland – Damian Covington, age 24, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
According to his guilty plea, on September 24, 2020 BPD officers observed a black vehicle bearing a Virginia license plate driving at a high rate of speed and committing several traffic violations, including changing lanes without a signal. Two BPD officers notified other officers of the traffic violations. Soon after, several BPD officers stopped the vehicle on Reisterstown Road in Baltimore, Maryland.
One of the BPD detectives informed the driver that he was being pulled over for an unsafe lane change and requested vehicle registration. Covington was seated in the passenger seat. As the driver reached for the registration, one of the BPD officers observed a clear tube containing suspected marijuana. The driver acknowledged the presence of marijuana in the tube and held it up for the officers to view. BPD officers then conducted a search of the vehicle.
During the search, a BPD detective discovered the driver’s 9mm firearm with 12 rounds of ammunition located in the locked glove compartment. Officers also recovered a semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number, six bullets, and two rounds of ammunition in a backpack behind the Covington’s seat. The bag also contained Covington’s identification card, three debit cards, and suspected marijuana.
BPD read Miranda rights to Covington who then admitted that he possessed the firearm inside of the backpack.
Prior to possessing the firearm and ammunition on September 24, 2020, Covington had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and his civil rights had not been restored.
Covington and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Covington will be sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III has scheduled sentencing for October 21, 2021 at 10 a.m.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey McCulley and Zachary B. Stendig, who are prosecuting the case.
