Cleveland Man Faces Heroin and Firearms Charges

A Cleveland man was indicted on federal drug and firearms charges, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Lionel D. Cannon, 50, was indicted on one count each of possession with intent to distribute heroin, being a felon in possession of a firearm and interstate travel for the purpose of facilitating an unlawful activity.

Cannon possessed more than 136 grams of heroin on Aug. 19. He also possessed a .380-caliber revolver and a .44-caliber revolver, despite previous cocaine convictions in state and federal court, according to the indictment.

Cannon also travelled between Ohio and California in August to engage in distribution of cocaine, according to the indictment.

If convicted, the sentence in this case will be determined by the court after consideration of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines which depend upon a number of factors unique to each case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, the defendant’s role in the offense and the unique 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.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Pinjuh and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Tomaro of the Ohio Attorney General's Office.

The case was investigated by the Northern Ohio Law Enforcement Task Force. The NOLETF is a long standing multi-agency task force comprised of investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, Cleveland Division of Police, Cleveland Heights Police Department, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, Euclid Police Department, Regional Transit Authority Police Department, Westlake Police Department, and Shaker Heights Police Department. The NOLETF is also one of the initial Ohio High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) initiatives. HIDTA supports and helps coordinate numerous Ohio drug task forces in their efforts to eliminate or reduce drug trafficking in Ohio.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.