Two Akron men indicted on illegal firearms charges

Justin. E. Herdman, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, announced today that a federal grand jury in Cleveland has indicted two men in the Akron area on charges of illegal firearm possession. These are separate cases and are not related.

Brandon M. Ricks, age 31, of Akron, was indicted on one count of felon in possession of firearm and ammunition. According to the indictment, on January 24, 2020, Ricks possessed a .45 caliber pistol.  Ricks is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to previous convictions of aggravated assault in 2008 and robbery in 2014, both in the Summit County Court of Common Pleas. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the ATF and Akron Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron P. Howell.

Brandon M. Ward, age 26, of Akron, was indicted on one count of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. According to the indictment, on January 28, 2020, Ward possessed a 5.7 mm caliber pistol and ammunition. Ward is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous conviction of trafficking in marijuana from 2017 in the Summit County Court of Common Pleas. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the ATF and Akron Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron P. Howell.

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

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, 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.