Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced that on Thursday, May 6, a federal jury found Donald E. Jones, 40, of Warren, Ohio, guilty of drug trafficking and firearms charges as jury trials resume around the Northern District of Ohio. Jones was found guilty of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute tramadol and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, on November 11, 2018, at approximately 3:00 a.m., City of Warren Police Officers initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle and identified Jones as the driver, owner, and sole occupant. Officers detected a smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle and initiated a search. During the search, officers discovered a secret compartment beneath the center console where they found a mixture of heroin and fentanyl with a street value of $2,000, multiple tramadol pills, and two loaded guns. In a second secret compartment, officers also found digital scales and drug paraphernalia. At the time of his arrest, Jones had over $3,000 in cash in his wallet and over $5,000 in his shoe. Jones is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous felony conviction.

Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on August 26, 2021, before U.S. Judge Dan Aaron Polster. This case was investigated by the ATF and city of Warren Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David M. Toepfer and Kathryn Gaughan Andrachik.