Five people were indicted for firearms offenses, said U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman and ATF Special Agent in Charge Trevor Velinor.
Indicted are: Thomas O. Gibson, 24, of Akron; Gary K. Jones, 24, of Akron; Bernard Jefferson, 47, of Massillon; Duane Rine, 61, of Louisville, Ohio, and Tremaine Jackson, 28, of Cleveland.
Gibson on Oct. 6 had a Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun and ammunition, despite prior convictions for carrying concealed weapons, possession of heroin, felonious assault, improperly discharging a firearm into a home or school, and other crimes, according to the indictment.
Jones on Nov. 17 possessed a Norinco SKS 7.62 mm rifle and ammunition, despite a prior conviction for burglary, according to the indictment.
Jefferson in November possessed a Smith and Wesson handgun despite a prior conviction for aggravated drug trafficking, according to the indictment.
Rine in 2015 unlawfully transferred a Plainfield.30-caliber machinegun, according to the indictment.
Jackson in November 2016 possessed a.57-caliber pistol despite previous convictions for drug trafficking, carrying concealed weapons and having weapons while under disability, according to the indictment.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly L. Galvin, Linda Barr and Aaron Howell following investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (Jackson case).
The cases are unrelated.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
