Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced the guilty verdict of Tony Horne Jr., 43, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, on all charges, including the illegal possession and sale of a regulated firearm, relating to a long-term investigation into drug traffickers operating in and around areas in Anne Arundel County and Baltimore City, Maryland.
In late April, Horne was found guilty—following a four-day jury trial before the Honorable Judge Yolanda A. Tanner of the Baltimore City Circuit Court—of participating in the illegal sale of a regulated firearm, illegal possession of a regulated firearm after having been convicted of a crime of violence, illegal possession of a regulated firearm after having been convicted of a disqualifying crime, and conspiracy to participate in the illegal sale of a regulated firearm. The firearm charges pertained to Horne’s sale of a .40 caliber handgun to an associate in October 2022. Horne is scheduled to be sentenced on August 13, 2024, and is currently being held without bail. During trial, the jury was presented with evidence that included recorded phone calls and text messages intercepted on a wiretap during the investigation that showed how, on October 28, 2022, Horne contacted three different people about purchasing a .40 caliber handgun that he had for sale. Additionally, prosecutors introduced surveillance footage—taken by detectives shortly after Horne’s phone call with the buyer of the handgun—that captured Horne retrieving a plastic bag from his Glen Burnie residence and then meeting with the buyer outside his residence in Baltimore City, where Horne was observed handing the plastic bag to the buyer in exchange for cash. A few weeks later, detectives executed a search and seizure warrant on the buyer’s residence. A search of the ceiling uncovered the .40 caliber handgun that had been purchased from Horne.
The investigation was led by the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Unit, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case began as an investigation targeting drug traffickers in Anne Arundel County that ended with court ordered search and seizure warrants being obtained for approximately twenty locations throughout Maryland. As a result, detectives seized more than 18 kilograms of cocaine, 400 grams of heroin, 360 grams of fentanyl, 67 pounds of cannabis, and 21 firearms as part of their investigation, including two stolen handguns and a “privately made firearm” (PMF) or “ghost gun.” I made a commitment to the people of Maryland that my Organized Crime Unit would work with local law enforcement to improve public safety.
Those critical partnerships are yielding results, like in this case,” said Attorney General Brown. “By holding those who bring illegal firearms into our communities accountable, we are taking decisive steps toward creating safer neighborhoods for everyone.” Tony Horne Jr. is one of ten defendants in this investigation. With his conviction, nine of the ten defendants have now been convicted. The last remaining defendant, Clayton Mooring, 50, of Glen Burnie, was charged in a 16-count indictment charging him with, among other counts, drug kingpin, conspiracy to import cocaine into the state, possession of a large amount of cocaine, and conspiracy to engage in a financial transaction involving drug proceeds related to the importation of large amounts of cocaine from Houston, Texas. Mooring’s trial is set to begin on July 8, 2024, in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court, and is scheduled to last up to five days. All other individuals had previously pleaded guilty. In making today’s announcement, Attorney General Brown thanked his Criminal Division, including Organized Crime Unit Chief Paul Halliday and Assistant Attorney General Sam Dechter, who prosecuted the case. Attorney General Brown also thanked the Anne Arundel County Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Baltimore Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess, and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates for their assistance in this investigation. The investigation was a coordinated effort under the Maryland Criminal Intelligence Network (MCIN). The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services provides grant funding and strategic support to MCIN member sites to identify, disrupt, and dismantle criminal organizations through inter-agency collaboration and data sharing to make Maryland safer.
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