Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Danny Merriweather, also known as “D,” 35, of Toledo, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 5, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a 10th Avenue residence where Merriweather was living and seized a Smith & Wesson .38 SPL Airweight revolver and quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine. Merriweather admitted to possessing the firearm.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Merriweather knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for distribution of a quantity of cocaine base in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on October 22, 2012.

Merriweather is scheduled to be sentenced on August 21, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-47.

###