A federal jury has found Jermaine Porter, 34, of Baltimore, guilty of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Porter was already on federal supervised release following a 2018 conviction for possessing a firearm as a prohibited person.
The conviction was announced by Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, along with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
According to court proceedings, on March 3, 2023, officers from BPD’s Northeast District Action Team stopped Porter in the 3900 block of Loch Raven Blvd. Officers had observed Porter moving in his seat before the stop and suspected he was hiding something. After removing him from his vehicle, police discovered a light blue SCCY CPX-1 9mm handgun loaded with eight rounds under his legs.
Because of his previous felony conviction, Porter is barred from having firearms or ammunition. This marks his second federal felony conviction related to firearms possession. He faces up to 15 years in federal prison; however, actual sentences are often less than the maximum allowed by law. Sentencing will be determined by District Judge Adam B. Abelson on December 16 after considering federal guidelines and statutory factors.
"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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results," according to the press release.
U.S. Attorney Hayes praised both ATF and BPD for their investigative work. She also acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorney LaRai Everett and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Keelan Diana for prosecuting the case.
More information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office can be found at justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
