Lebanese student charged with possessing firearm

A criminal information was filed charging Hassan Ajram, 29, of Lebanon, with being an alien in possession of a firearm that traveled in interstate or foreign commerce, said Carole S. Rendon, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Ajram, who was admitted to the U.S. on an F-1 student visa, possessed a Sig Sauer 9 mm pistol on Feb. 10, according to the information.

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.

The investigating agency in this case is the U.S. Border Patrol and Department of Homeland Security. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Freeman.

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