Baltimore, Maryland – Garrick Powell, a 32-year-old man from Baltimore, has entered a guilty plea for the unlawful possession of a machine gun in a federal court. The announcement was made by Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, in collaboration with Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms (ATF), Baltimore Field Division, and Commissioner Richard Worley from the Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
The guilty plea indicates that on April 19, 2023, law enforcement discovered Powell with a machine gun. Officers from the Baltimore Police Department's Eastern District Baltimore Community Intelligence Center were monitoring the 500 block of North Patterson Park Avenue when they noticed Powell exhibiting behaviors typical of an armed individual.
An officer watched as Powell got into a vehicle and drove away, prompting a traffic stop. The subsequent search of Powell's vehicle yielded a loaded Poly80 9mm handgun equipped with an extended magazine. The Poly80 is often described as a "ghost gun" due to its lack of a serial number. Additionally, a conversion device was attached to the firearm, transforming it from a semi-automatic weapon to an automatic one, classifying it as a machine gun. Officers also found a second extended magazine and 63 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 16 at 10 a.m. Federal criminal sentences generally fall short of the maximum penalties, where a federal district court judge will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors before determining the final sentence.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which unites law enforcement at all levels with communities to cut down violent crime and gun violence, aiming to enhance neighborhood safety. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a strategy to reduce violent crime, reinforcing PSN on core principles: fostering community trust and legitimacy, backing organizations that prevent violence, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and evaluating results.
U.S. Attorney Hayes expressed appreciation for the investigative efforts by the ATF and BPD, along with acknowledgment for Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia McLane and Stanton Lawyer, who are prosecuting the case.
Information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, including its priorities and community resources, can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-md and www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn.