Robert Spriggs, 38, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison after agents said they intercepted more than 54 pounds of vacuum-sealed marijuana in his luggage at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and later recovered multiple firearms from a Southeast D.C. residence. Spriggs pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and to unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
As reported by Daily Voice Arlington, Spriggs and two co-conspirators were intercepted at BWI in February 2024 after returning from Los Angeles. Agents found 54.5 pounds of marijuana vacuum-sealed inside two suitcases and identified an apartment in the 1900 block of C Street SE as a storage and distribution site. Prosecutors say the operation, known among the crew as the "Spot," supplied customers across the Baltimore Washington region.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the case grew out of a multi-month probe showing the group traveled repeatedly between Los Angeles and the DMV to obtain large quantities of marijuana. Agents observed daily hand-to-hand transactions outside the C Street SE building between April and October 2024, and the DEA Washington Division and the FBI Washington Field Office led the sweep.
Evidence and the 'Spot' manager's messages
As detailed by Daily Voice Arlington, court documents include text messages in which Spriggs bragged that he earned far more as the "Spot manager" than from a traditional job. Those texts, it turns out, were not great for his defense. Investigators say surveillance of the block helped build the case, and agents later seized an AK-style rifle, a Springfield XD, a Kahr .45-caliber pistol, magazines and ammunition during the search of the Southeast home.
Federal firearms rules and charges
Federal law bars convicted felons from possessing firearms under 18 U.S.C. § 922, as outlined by Cornell Law School. The marijuana distribution conspiracy Spriggs admitted to is also a federal offense that can carry prison time when it involves interstate travel or large quantities.
Where the investigation stands
Spriggs was sentenced the same week federal prosecutors secured prison terms for other members of the network, the U.S. Attorney's Office reported. Patrick Thomas was sentenced to 53 months, while co-defendants Dnorris Goins and Ricardo Koonce received five and two years respectively. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nihar Mohanty and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Isabelle Sun as part of case number 24cr519.
