United States Drug Enforcement Administration

Baltimore, MD – A federal jury convicted Earl Leroy Griffin, Jr., age 45, of Sunderland, Maryland, late on December 17, 2021, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

The conviction was announced by Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Washington Division; United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans; and Calvert County State’s Attorney Robert Harvey.

According to the evidence presented at his four-day trial, on September 5, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Griffin’s residence and on his vehicle as part of a drug investigation.  In Griffin’s locked vehicle, law enforcement recovered a stolen .40 caliber handgun, loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition; powder cocaine, crack cocaine, and other drugs; and three Maryland driver’s licenses bearing Griffin’s name and photo.  The vehicle was registered to Griffin.  When he was searched incident to his arrest, Griffin had the keys to his vehicle and $1,870 in cash in his pockets.

Griffin had four previous felony drug convictions and knew that as a result, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.  This conviction qualifies Griffin for armed career criminal status.

The jury acquitted Griffin on charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. As an armed career criminal, Griffin faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum of life in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.   

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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  

SAC Forget commended the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Attorney's Office of Maryland, and the Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution.

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