Baltimore Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge for Illegal Possession of a Firearm

Malik Moseley, age 28, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a federal charge for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare.

“This case is part of the initiative undertaken by state and federal law enforcement to reduce fentanyl overdoses in Baltimore.  Under this program, prosecutors in Baltimore City, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and DEA agents are reviewing every arrest involving distribution of fentanyl in Baltimore, with the support of the Baltimore City Police Department’s Laboratory Section,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “I am grateful to Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby for providing a cross-designated Assistant State’s Attorney to facilitate and coordinate this review.”

According to his guilty plea, in September and October 2018, members of the Baltimore Police Department conducted two controlled purchases of drugs from Moseley at a residence in the 400 block of Freeman Street in South Baltimore.  Law enforcement officers also conducted covert surveillance outside the residence and observed Moseley and another individual engage in suspected hand-to-hand drug transactions in front of the home.

Based on this information, BPD officers obtained a search warrant for the residence, which they executed on October 17, 2018.  At the time, Moseley had an open arrest warrant from Anne Arundel County, Maryland.  While approaching the residence, the officers observed Moseley standing outside, and they immediately apprehended and arrested him.  In a search of Moseley’s person incident to his arrest, the officers recovered a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, loaded with eight rounds of ammunition; a plastic bag containing nine suboxone strips, and $790 in cash.  Moseley had a previous felony conviction and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

During the search of the residence, the officers recovered bags containing a total of approximately 47 grams of fentanyl; a bag containing approximately 5 grams of a heroin-fentanyl mixture; drug paraphernalia, including three digital scales with drug residue; razor blades with residue; a glass plate with residue; a pill press with residue; and various drug packaging material.  In addition, law enforcement recovered a gun holster; two remote-control surveillance drones; a home surveillance system with two high-definition cameras; $101 in cash, and $30 in counterfeit currency.

Moseley faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for January 23, 2020 at 10:30 a.m.

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 Robert K. Hur commended the DEA, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina A. Hoffman, who is prosecuting the case.