Prince Frederick Man Who Asked Firefighters To Hide ‘Ghost Gun’ Pleads Guilty

LEONARDTOWN, Md. — A Prince Frederick man who allegedly asked firefighters to hide a handgun without a serial number after crashing his truck in St. Mary’s County has pleaded guilty in Circuit Court and received a suspended prison sentence.

Zamahri Lydell Talley, 22, of Prince Frederick, pleaded guilty on June 1, 2026, to carrying a loaded handgun in a vehicle in St. Mary’s County Circuit Court before Judge Amy Lorenzini. The conviction stemmed from a March 13, 2026, crash on Point Lookout Road near St. Andrews Church Road.

According to Maryland State Police reports, Talley lost control of his truck while merging onto Point Lookout Road. The vehicle entered a ditch and overturned onto its roof. Talley told troopers he broke the windshield so he and a passenger could safely escape.

Court documents state firefighters from the Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department arrived to treat the occupants. During treatment, Talley allegedly told firefighters there was a loaded handgun without a serial number inside the truck and allegedly asked them to hide it from law enforcement.

Troopers reported observing an empty handgun holster on the front passenger seat while inspecting the overturned vehicle. A subsequent probable cause search allegedly recovered a black Polymer80-style handgun without a serial number. Investigators said the firearm contained one 9mm cartridge in the chamber and 10 additional rounds in the magazine.

Talley was arrested and transported to the St. Mary County Detention and Rehabilitation Center.

The original criminal case included charges of possessing a firearm without a serial number, possessing a handgun in a vehicle, carrying a loaded handgun in a vehicle, and failure to control vehicle speed to avoid a collision.

A St. Mary’s County grand jury later indicted Talley in Circuit Court. Court records show he pleaded guilty on June 1 to carrying a loaded handgun in a vehicle. The remaining charges were resolved as part of the plea agreement.

Judge Amy Lorenzini sentenced Talley to five years in prison, suspending all but 12 months, followed by five years of supervised probation, according to court records.

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