Two Ohio men indicted on firearms charges

Two Ohio men were indicted on federal firearms charges, said Acting U.S. Attorney David A. Sierleja.

Indicted are Ronald A. Stevens, 44, of Youngstown, and Christopher Ray Damron, 33, of Sherrodsville.

Both are charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Their case are unrelated.

Damron on March 22, 2017, possessed a Colt, model Mustang Pocketlite, .380 pistol, and ammunition, despite prior convictions in Summit County for rape and attempted intimidation of a witness, according to the indictment.

Stevens possessed Rohm, model RG38, .38 revolver, and ammunition on April 8, 2017, despite a prior felony conviction for attempted felonious assault, according to the indictment.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of 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 violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

Both cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer following investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Youngstown Police Department also investigated the Stevens cases while the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office also investigated the Damron case.

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.