Feds indict five on firearms charges

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Three Mahoning County and two Trumbull County residents were indicted on federal firearms charges this week.

U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Steven M. Dettelbach said Wednesday the key to the cases, which are unrelated, is the cooperation between local police and federal agencies.

“We will continue to work to get firearms and ammunition off the street and out of the hands of felons who are forbidden to by law from having them in the first place,” Dettelbach said in a news release.

Indicted on charges of being a felon in possession of arms or ammunition are:

Michael Harver, 24, of Poland, who is accused of having a .38-caliber pistol and ammunition April 28, even though he was convicted of felonious assault in Mahoning County in 2009. He served less than a year in prison before he was granted judicial release, court records show.

Jawonn Hymes, 22, of Boardman. He is accused of having a .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol and ammunition June 27 despite prior convictions for trafficking in drugs and possession of cocaine in Mahoning County in 2009.

Andre L. Owens, 38, of Warren, who is accused of having a 9mm semiautomatic handgun and ammunition May 27 despite several convictions in Trumbull County and Washington County, Pennsylvania.

Thomas I. Sledge, 33, of Struthers, who is accused of having a .40-caliber handgun and ammunition June 5, despite numerous convictions in Trumbull County, including attempted murder with a firearm, felonious assault and having weapons under disability.

Carl D. Washington, 25, of Warren, who is accused of having a .22-caliber revolver and ammunition May 30, even though he had prior convictions from Trumbull County for felonious assault, aggravated burglary and tampering with evidence.

The cases were investi-gated by the Youngstown, Warren, Struthers and Boardman police departments as well as the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives office in Youngstown.