MARYLAND FELON SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR POSSESSING A MACHINE GUN IN CONNECTION WITH DRUG TRAFFICKING

Date: November 17, 2025

MARYLAND FELON SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR POSSESSING A MACHINE GUN IN CONNECTION WITH DRUG TRAFFICKING

Greenbelt, Maryland - A U.S District Judge Lydia K. Griggsby sentenced Donzell Lernard Campbell, 44, of Laurel, Maryland, to 110 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. On February 27, 2024, Campbell pled guilty to federal possession of a machine gun, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of ammunition charges.

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 Chief Scott Brecht of the U.S. Park Police (USPP).

According to court documents, on December 11, 2021, USPP received a call about a disabled vehicle on the Baltimore Washington Parkway. Upon arrival on the scene, law enforcement approached a silver Infiniti stopped in the left travel lane. Law enforcement encountered Campbell, who appeared to be under the influence of PCP, in the vehicle.

Then Campbell took off at a high rate of speed, so the officers decided to deactivate their emergency equipment and did not engage in a chase. Shortly after, law enforcement found Campbell's vehicle after he crashed into two other vehicles, causing injuries to the occupants in both vehicles and seriously injuring himself.

Law enforcement recovered a serialized semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine and 26 rounds of ammunition in Campbell's crashed vehicle. Additionally, law enforcement discovered 60 pills, which appeared to be oxycodone, crack cocaine in Campbell's pockets and a scale. Campbell has an extensive felony record, including distribution of CDS, and felony assault on an officer.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and the USPP for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo who is prosecuting the federal case.

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.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach