A Baltimore man, David Funderburk, 47, was convicted by a federal jury for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The announcement was made 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 documents and officials, on November 3, 2023, detectives from the BPD Southwest District Action Team were conducting routine patrols in the 1500 block of W. Baltimore Street when they observed Funderburk exhibiting behaviors characteristic of someone armed. Detectives followed him into a local eatery where they saw him pull out a FN Five-seveN 5.7x28mm handgun from his pocket and place it on the floor in a corner.
Detectives entered the restaurant immediately after observing this action and detained Funderburk. They recovered the loaded firearm containing 18 rounds of ammunition from where he had placed it. This incident marks Funderburk’s fourth federal felony conviction. Due to his prior convictions, he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
Funderburk faces up to 15 years in federal prison for this offense.
The case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative designed to reduce violent crime and gun violence through cooperation between law enforcement agencies and community organizations at all levels. In May 2021, the Department implemented an updated violent crime reduction strategy focused on building trust within communities, supporting organizations that work to prevent violence before it starts, prioritizing strategic enforcement actions, and evaluating outcomes.
Kelly O. Hayes stated: "U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation." She also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Rigney and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sippel for prosecuting the case as well as Paralegal Specialist Briana Scarborough for her assistance.
More information about priorities and resources offered by the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/ as well as its community outreach initiatives at https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
