A Baltimore man has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for his involvement in a firearms trafficking conspiracy and distributing methamphetamine. Brian Keith Adams, 35, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin and will also serve five years of supervised release.
The sentencing was announced by Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, along with officials from several law enforcement agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Maryland State Police (MSP), Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS), Baltimore Police Department (BPD), Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD), and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).
According to Adams’ guilty plea, ATF special agents began investigating him in December 2023 after suspecting he was trafficking firearms from North and South Carolina into Baltimore. Adams did not have a federal firearms license and was prohibited from possessing firearms. Between February and June 2024, he sold more than 100 firearms to an undercover agent as well as over 100 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine. The transactions took place in both Maryland and North Carolina. During one transaction, Adams carried a loaded firearm for protection.
“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 all involved agencies for their work on the investigation. “Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Y. Hagan who is prosecuting the case.”
Further information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao-md or https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
