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Firefighter indicted on drug charges
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Steffin Gantt
Commissioners accepted Johnson’s resignation from his county job.
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By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN — A city firefighter and the man who police said shot and critically injured him Nov. 14 have been indicted by the Mahoning County grand jury.
The firefighter, Andre Johnson, 26, of North Fruit Street, was indicted Thursday on marijuana possession and trafficking charges with forfeiture specifications.
Photo
Steffin Gantt
Stefin Gantt, 20, of Garden Street Northwest, Warren, the man who is charged with shooting Johnson, was indicted on aggravated robbery and felonious assault charges with firearm specifications and having a gun after being charged with a felony.
Johnson was shot in the face, stomach and leg while he was off duty in his residence, where police said they seized about a pound of suspected marijuana in a duffel bag. Johnson was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center and released several days after the shooting.
Gantt’s right ear was likely bitten or cut off in the struggle, and he suffered a gunshot wound to his left forearm, police said. Gantt, who was taken by a companion to Forum Health Trumbull Memorial Hospital after the shooting, was booked into Mahoning County Jail after he left the hospital.
A struggle occurred in Johnson’s basement, where furniture was overturned and blood was found on the carpet, police said. Besides the large amount of suspected marijuana, police said they found a digital scale with suspected marijuana residue, a drug pipe, a loaded .25-caliber pistol, $500 in cash in a night stand and smaller bags of suspected marijuana in Johnson’s house.
In connection with his city job, Johnson, who is free on $10,000 bond, awaits a hearing officer’s recommendation on whether discipline is warranted. That recommendation is expected by early next week.
Fire Chief John J. O’Neill Jr. said the city’s position is that departmental discipline is warranted now, but Johnson and the firefighters union say Johnson’s criminal trial should be held first.
Once the recommendation is issued, O’Neill said he would discuss the matter with Mayor Jay Williams and Law Director Iris Torres Guglucello. Johnson, who joined the fire department in June 2006, will leave the fire department’s payroll when his sick leave expires next week.
Also on Thursday, the county commissioners accepted Johnson’s resignation, effective Nov. 29, as a housing specialist at the county lead hazard control office, which coordinates removal of lead-based paint hazards from housing.
Johnson, who became a county employee in June 2004, earned $21,486 annually from the county job.
With a Dec. 14 application deadline, the county is now advertising to hire a specialist to write lead hazard control work specifications from completed lead inspections and risk assessments and inspect the completed work for approval and payment. The advertised annual salary is between $27,000 and $31,000.
Gantt was indicted in Trumbull County in April on charges of felonious assault with a firearm specification, improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation and felonious assault on a peace officer with a firearm specification.
He was charged with firing a shot in the direction of Warren Patrolman Jeff Miller when Miller responded to a report of a man with a gun in the 1500 block of North Park Avenue on Feb. 25.