Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

A Lima man with a long history of violence was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for having firearms.

Benjamin Frieson, 47, previously pleaded guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Frieson possessed a GSG .22-caliber rifle and a Taurus 9 mm pistol on July 14, 2019, according to court documents.

Frieson was prohibited from having firearms because of multiple previous convictions, including for aggravated assault, felonious assault on a peace officer, aggravated assault and attempted robbery.

“This defendant has proven time and again to be a violent individual,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “This sentence makes the community safer.”

These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN was reinvigorated in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lima Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracey Tangeman and Matthew Simko.

###