Leon Grant, Sr. Convicted of Illegal Possession of a Regulated Firearm

Wicomico County, MD - On March 18, 2026, 64-year-old Leon Grant, Sr. of Salisbury, Maryland, pleaded guilty to one count of illegal possession of a regulated firearm. The Honorable S. James Sarbanes, Administrative Judge for the Circuit Court for Wicomico County, accepted the plea.

Grant was subsequently sentenced to 15 years of incarceration. All but seven years of the sentence were suspended, with five years serving as a mandatory minimum sentence.

The conviction stems from an incident on November 5, 2025. Officers from the Wicomico Narcotics Unit executed a search and seizure warrant at Grant's residence. During the search, a Smith and Wesson handgun was recovered. The weapon contained a magazine loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition.

Grant is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior conviction for sexual assault. A subsequent trace of the handgun revealed that it was reported stolen from the state of Georgia in 2023.

Wicomico County State's Attorney Jamie L. Dykes commented on the conviction: "The General Assembly has enacted legislation over the years to attempt to take guns out of the hands of criminals. We have seen time and time again violent crimes committed by individuals using firearms who should not have the firearm in the first place. It is quite true that we cannot rely on lawbreakers to obey the law, but this Office will enforce the firearms possession laws in an effort to prevent firearm violence."

State's Attorney Dykes specifically thanked the Wicomico Narcotics Unit for their work in the investigation. She also thanked Senior Assistant State's Attorney Patrizia J. Coletta, who prosecuted the case.