United States Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland

06/03/2025 | Press release | Archived content

Baltimore Man Sentenced to More Than 22 Years in Federal Prison for Aiding and Abetting a Murder

Press Release

Baltimore Man Sentenced to More Than 22 Years in Federal Prison for Aiding and Abetting a Murder

Tuesday, June 3, 2025
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For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland - Today, Ziyon Thompson, 21, of Baltimore, Maryland was sentenced to 22 years and one month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting the murder of Miguel Soto-Diaz, on May 8, 2022. Thompson was charged with using a firearm resulting in death during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).

According to the guilty plea, on May 7, Miguel Soto-Diaz traveled from California to Baltimore, Maryland, to meet with Thompson to discuss their marijuana growing/selling venture. On May 8, Thompson picked up Soto-Diaz from a Downtown Baltimore hotel and drove him to 325 Furrow Street. Then Thompson placed a FaceTime call to Soto-Diaz's son in California and showed him that his father was duct taped, gagged, and tied to a chair.

Thompson then demanded 200 pounds of marijuana and $50,000 for Soto-Diaz's safe return. Thompson texted "Pap said send the bags and money so he can be ok and he said don't call the police or he want [sic] be coming home." Then at approximately 7:03 p.m., the Baltimore Fire Department responded to a house fire at 325 Furrow Street where officers found Soto-Diaz dead inside the house with multiple gunshot wounds.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD Homicide Unit for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia McLane and Alex Kalim who prosecuted the 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 and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Contact

Kevin Nash
USAMD.Press@usdoj.gov
410-209-4946

Updated June 3, 2025
Topic
Violent Crime
Components
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
USAO - Maryland
United States Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland published this content on June 03, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 05, 2025 at 08:46 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at support@pubt.io