A Baltimore man was sentenced on Aug. 5 to more than eight years in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearm possession charges connected to a local investigation.
U.S. District Judge Matthew Maddox sentenced Davon Taylor, 35, to 97 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Taylor also agreed that the offense violated the conditions of his federal supervised release.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence along with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Commissioner Richard Worley from the Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
According to court documents, law enforcement agents monitored a large Northwest Baltimore parking lot known as “the panyard” on April 9, 2025, using surveillance cameras. Agents observed Taylor arriving at the location and engaging in hand-to-hand drug transactions before removing an object from his waistband and placing it inside a pizza box on top of a recycling bin. Law enforcement arrested Taylor shortly after; agents recovered a handgun loaded with twelve rounds that had been reported stolen in May 2022. A search also uncovered bags containing vials and jugs of fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base, a digital scale with white residue, and $1,549 in cash.
Project Safe Neighborhoods is described as “the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement… together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime.” The program is coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices across all federal districts as part of Operation Take Back America.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland serves nearly six million residents across Maryland; prosecutes federal crimes; handles civil cases for the United States; collects government debts; employs over 200 personnel across its divisions; counts alumni among prominent government leaders; enhances quality of life through justice administration; and is part of the U.S. Department of Justice, according to its official website.