Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Seven people were indicted in federal court for firearms violations.

 

They are: Justin A. McGeever, aka Jonor A. McGree, 30, of Cleveland Heights; Gabriel T. Williams, 35, of Cleveland; Marcus L. Lockett, 29, of Akron; Melvin Wright, 37, of Akron; Deshaun A. Jones, 39, of Columbus; Fuquawn Baldwin, 26, of Akron, and Rowland L. Babb, 27, of Canton.

 

According to the indictments:

 

McGeever possessed ammunition and a .38-caliber pistol in 2016 while subject to a protection order.

 

Williams possessed a sawed-off 20-gauge shotgun in 2016.

 

Lockett possessed a Springfield Arms 9 mm pistol and ammunition, despite a previous conviction for felonious assault with a firearms specification. He also possessed at least 50 grams of methamphetamine and was using the firearm in relation to drug trafficking, according to the indictment.

 

Wright possessed a .38-caliber revolver and ammunition on September 8, 2018, despite a previous conviction for felonious assault.

 

Jones possessed a stolen .45-caliber pistol and ammunition on October 1, 2018, despite a previous conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

 

Baldwin possessed a Ruger 9 mm pistol and ammunition on November 24, 2018, despite a previous conviction for robbery.

 

Babb possessed a Glock 9 mm pistol and ammunition on November 24, 2018, despite a previous conviction for felonious assault.

 

This case is 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.

 

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of 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 violations.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

 

These cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Canton FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the Canton Police Department, the Akron Police Department.

 

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.