Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced that on Wednesday, May 12, a federal jury found Ronald Sharp, 42, of Cleveland, Ohio, guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court records, in 2006, Sharp was convicted of gross sexual imposition and kidnapping with a sexually motivated specification in the Cuyahoga County Common PSACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Kevin Lester Wise, 64, of Rancho Cordova, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of an unregistered silencer, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, a federal search warrant of Wise’s residence resulted in the discovery of a Ruger .22 caliber rifle and a silencer. Wise had previously attempted to unlawfully import another silencer from China. In 1990, Wise was convicted in Sacramento County for unlawful assault by an officer while he was serving as a deputy sheriff. In 2013, Wise was convicted in federal court in the Eastern District of California for a being a felon in possession of a firearm. As a convicted felon, Wise is prohibited from owning firearms, including silencers.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Wise faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN 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. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
leas Court.  Following his release from prison in 2015, Sharp was placed on post-release supervision with the Ohio Adult Parole Authority (APA) and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

As part of his release from prison, Sharp agreed to certain parole conditions, including being subject to warrantless searches and obeying federal, state and local laws and ordinances.  On September 25, 2019, the supervising parole officer for Sharp became aware that Sharp may have been in violation of the terms of his release.  Sharp was then taken into custody, and his residence searched.  During the search, parole officers found a loaded, 9mm semi-automatic pistol under a bedroom pillow.  In addition, officers located a set of camouflaged body armor inside the bedroom closet.

Sharp was then transported to the Cuyahoga County jail on an active hold order for parole violations.  DNA samples from the firearm were later matched to DNA taken from Sharp.

Sharp is scheduled to be sentenced on September 1, 2021. This case was investigated by the ATF and APA.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret Kane and Andrea Isabella.