A 29-year-old man was sentenced yesterday to nearly 20 years in prison after being convicted by a jury of being a felon in possession of a handgun, federal prosecutors said.

Darryl Harcum had been convicted eight times in state court of crimes that include distribution of heroin, distribution of cocaine and assault, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Maryland.

Prosecutors said that testimony during Harcum's two-day trial in U.S. District Court in Baltimore showed that a city police officer responded to the 1200 block of Braddish Ave. on Jan. 26, 2006, for a report of gunfire.

The prosecutors said that as the officer approached Harcum in an alley, the suspect "dropped a shiny object that appeared to be a handgun." Prosecutors said police found a loaded .45-caliber handgun and three small bags of marijuana.