Two people from Northwest Ohio indicted on firearms charges

Two people from Northwest Ohio were indicted for federal firearms crimes.

Jason M. Calton, 44, of Liberty Center, was charged with being a prohibited in possession of a firearm. Calton on June 24 possessed a Harrington & Richardson .22-caliber revolver despite a previous conviction for domestic violence, according to the indictment.

Laquan Hardin, 28, of Toledo, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hardin possessed a Ruger 9mm pistol and a Raven Arms . 25-caliber pistol in June despite prior convictions for domestic violence and attempted failure to comply, according to the indictment.

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 these cases is the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  The cases are being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew D. Simko. 

These cases are being prosecuted as part of "Project Safe Neighborhoods," a gun violence reduction program administered by the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio.  The program targets armed criminals for federal prosecution. 

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The burden of proof is always on the government to prove a defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.