Being convicted of certain types of crimes can lead to a person losing their right to own guns. Maryland’s Attorney General recently indicted seven men for illegally possessing firearms who had records of being convicted of a crime of violence or some other crime that disqualified them from owning guns.
Under state law, if a person is convicted of a disqualifying crime, the person is prohibited from possessing a firearm of any kind, regulated or non-regulated, according to the Attorney General’s office. A disqualifying crime is defined as:
- A crime of violence
- A violation classified as a felony
- A violation classified as a misdemeanor that carries a statutory penalty of more than two years.
If a person is convicted of any of these offenses, he or she is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
In addition, if an individual is under the age of 30 and has been adjudicated delinquent by a juvenile court for an act that would be a disqualifying crime if committed by an adult, that person too is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The Montgomery County Pennsylvania Juvenile Court adjudicated one young man delinquent in 2010 for receiving stolen goods. As a result, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm until he is 30 years old. However, Maryland state troopers seized 14 firearms from his home in Harford County.
Another man was convicted of second-degree assault in St. Mary’s County District Court in 2013. An investigation revealed that on October 5, 2018 and November 16, 2018, he possessed firearms in Frederick County and on March 25, 2019, he possessed firearms in Calvert County.
An investigation revealed that a man convicted of second-degree assault in St. Mary’s District Court was found to own firearms in Frederick County and four firearms in 2019 in Calvert County.
A man convicted of first-degree burglary in 2017 was found to have a firearm in 2019 in Charles County.
A man convicted of escape in the second degree in 2010 was found to possess a firearm in Charles County.
A man convicted of escape in the first degree in Carroll County, second-degree assault in Harford County and distribution of a controlled dangerous substance in Carroll County was found to have two firearms in 2019.
In January 2019, officers seized two firearms and ammunition from the residence of a man convicted of armed robbery in 2013 in Washington, D.C.
Maryland state Attorney General Brian Frosh said the defendants “knowingly lied on their application and illegally attempted to hide their priory criminal history” to purchase guns.
If you’ve been charged with a gun crime in Baltimore, you should talk to a Baltimore gun crimes attorney. The attorneys at The Law Offices of Thomas J. Maronick have experience handling Baltimore, Towson and Ocean City firearms charges. You can contact Thomas Maronick on his cellphone at 410-402-5571, the law office at 410-402-5571 or via our website for a free consultation.