Christopher Lovelace, Possession of a Firearm, Maryland 2022

Baltimore Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm and Fentanyl

A Baltimore man has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Christopher Lovelace, 41, was found guilty of possessing fentanyl and a loaded pistol.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland, Lovelace was arrested on August 25, 2018, after a Baltimore Police Officer observed a drug transaction in the 600 block of East 38th Street. The officer saw Lovelace exchange money for a substance, which was later found to be fentanyl.

During the arrest, officers found U.S. currency, gelcaps containing a white powdery substance, and the keys to a GMC Yukon on Lovelace's person. A search of the Yukon revealed a loaded pistol and a clear plastic bag containing gelcaps containing a white powdery substance, matching the ones found on Lovelace's person.

Laboratory tests revealed that the gelcaps found on Lovelace contained fentanyl. Lovelace pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of fentanyl.

U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Lovelace to six years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney Robert K. Hur, Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division, and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and making neighborhoods safer. The U.S. Attorney's Office commended the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/baltimore-man-sentenced-six-years-federal-prison-possession-firearm