Baltimore, Maryland – A Baltimore man received a sentence of more than eight years in federal prison, today, for drug trafficking and firearm charges in connection with a local drug trafficking 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 the intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Taylor also agreed that this offense violated the conditions of his federal supervised release.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
According to court documents, on April 9, 2025, law enforcement agents used a surveillance camera to monitor a large Northwest Baltimore parking lot, known as “the panyard.” Agents observed Taylor arrive at the panyard and engage in hand-to-hand drug transactions before removing an object from his waistband. He then placed the object inside of a pizza box on top of a recycling bin.
Law enforcement arrested Taylor and then agents recovered a handgun, loaded with a magazine containing 12 rounds of live ammunition, that was reported stolen in May 2022. Agents also searched the area and found a bag containing additional plastic bags with numerous vials and jugs of fentanyl, cocaine, and cocaine base, along with a digital scale with white residue on it. Additionally, law enforcement found $1,549 in cash.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Godwin who is prosecuting this federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md .
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Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Maryland — U.S. Department of Justice press release.