Jacque "Hammer" Brown, 50, of Randallstown, was sentenced yesterday to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and to possessing a firearm while prohibited. The punishment locks Brown up for more than a decade.
The 135-month term, roughly 11 years and three months, was handed down in federal court, as reported by WBFF. Prosecutors said the sentence followed a federal investigation that turned up a sizable stash of fentanyl along with multiple guns.
How investigators built the case
According to the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration opened its investigation in March 2025 and used court-authorized GPS tracking and cell phone "ping" orders to monitor Brown's vehicles and phones. Agents said they watched Brown meet with a supplier in April 2025, then later pulled over his vehicle. A K-9 allegedly alerted to narcotics, and Brown tried to run, tossing a clear plastic bag that tested positive for about 15 grams of fentanyl, officials said.
Investigators then searched Brown's room in Randallstown and reported finding roughly 500 grams of fentanyl packaged in multiple bags, along with digital scales, a hydraulic press and two firearms. Prosecutors said the guns included a loaded 9mm Ruger handgun and a Mossberg Maverick 12-gauge shotgun.
Context: fentanyl prosecutions in the area
Federal authorities in the Baltimore region have regularly pursued multi-year sentences in cases involving large amounts of fentanyl. In a separate case, a DEA release describes an eight-year sentence for a defendant linked to more than 300 grams of fentanyl. Those kinds of outcomes highlight how bulk fentanyl seizures often translate into lengthy federal prison terms.
Charges and prosecution
Brown pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and to possession of a firearm by a person prohibited from having one, according to prosecutors. The U.S. Attorney's Office noted that the drug charge carries a statutory minimum of 10 years and, with certain enhancements, can bring significantly higher maximum penalties.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Calvin Miner and Ari D. Evans prosecuted the case as part of the Homeland Security Task Force and Project Safe Neighborhoods initiatives, officials said.
