A Warren man is facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison after he was convicted of having more than a kilogram of heroin and firearms, said David A. Sierleja, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio and Warren Police Chief Eric Merkel.
Ricardo B. McKinney, 31, is scheduled to sentenced on July 19.
“This is a criminal who does not belong on the streets of Warren or anywhere else," Sierleja said. “The amount of deadly drugs he had, and the fact that he’s a felon with firearms, demonstrates that prison is the proper place for this defendant."
Merkel said: “I would like to thank the Warren Street Crimes Unit for all of the hard work that was put into this case and their dedication to removing from our streets a drug that has killed so many in our city. I would also like to thank the U.S. Attorney's Office for prosecuting this case. This partnership is an essential element in our mission to eliminate drug traffickers from our community."
A jury convicted McKinney on two counts of distribution of heroin, one count of possession with the intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms following a weeklong trial.
McKinney sold heroin on two occasions in early 2015. Warren police arrested McKinney on Feb. 25, 2015, with approximately 1657.2 grams of heroin and two handguns. McKinney was prohibited from having a firearm because of prior felony convictions, according to court documents and trial testimony.
Prosecutors are forfeited nearly $30,000 and the two firearms seized as part of the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa T. Darden and Daniel J. Riedl. The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Warren Police Department.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
