Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Baltimore, Maryland – Ethan King, 20, of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person and was sentenced to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
According to the guilty plea, on February 7, 2024, law enforcement observed surveillance video of King, a previously convicted felon, entering a Baltimore convenience store. While inside the store, King purchased a Glock 19 handgun equipped with an extended magazine and a machinegun conversion device from another individual.
Then on March 15, law enforcement recovered the Glock 19 handgun during a search of King’s residence. When law enforcement recovered the firearm, it was equipped with an extended magazine loaded with 31 rounds of 9mm ammunition and a machinegun conversion device. Machinegun conversion devices, also known as “Glock switches,” are designed to convert a semi-automatic Glock-style pistol into a fully automatic 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 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.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, ATF, and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Tsuei who prosecuted this case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.