Rebecca C. Lutzko United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio
John Ward, a 46-year-old resident of Maple Heights, Ohio, was sentenced on Apr. 10 to nearly eleven years in prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Judge John R. Adams handed down the sentence, which also includes three years of supervised release following imprisonment.
The case is significant as Ward committed the firearm offense while he was out on parole for another similar crime. According to court documents, law enforcement officers encountered Ward during a liquor law compliance inspection at a Cleveland bar in August 2025. Officers observed several people drinking outside and noticed Ward moving toward a vehicle before hearing an object hit the ground nearby.
Officers recovered an FN Model 509 pistol loaded with seventeen rounds from the scene and found that Ward appeared highly intoxicated at the time of his arrest. Further investigation revealed that Ward had previous convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in 2022 and aggravated robbery in 2010.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives led the investigation into this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie A. Wojtasik and Scott C. Zarzycki prosecuted Ward's case for the Northern District of Ohio.
This sentencing highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address repeat offenses involving firearms among individuals with prior felony convictions.
