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Two men plead guilty to weapons charges in Warren drugs and weapons sweep
By Ed Runyan
AKRON
Two Warren men have pleaded guilty in federal court to unlicensed dealing in firearms and possessing an unregistered firearm, stemming from the massive Warren drugs and firearms roundup revealed in April.
Ricky L. Walker, 54, and Henry E. Walker, 60, both pleaded guilty to the two charges last week and will be sentenced Sept. 24 federal court in Akron. Each man was indicted on five weapons charges.
Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, said the Walker brothers committed the crimes at a Warren flea market, selling firearms in exchange for items such as furniture.
The crimes occurred from September 2011 to March 2012, according to their indictment, which adds that the identity of the individuals they bought the firearms from is unknown.
Their indictment says Ricky Walker previously was convicted of aggravated arson in Defiance County, Ohio, in 2002. Court records say Henry Walker lived on Packard Street Northwest several years ago, and Ricky Walker lived on Hall Street Northwest in 2011.
Henry Walker sold nine firearms to a flea-market customer in exchange for furniture Sept. 7, 2011, and sold 22 firearms and ammunition to a customer in exchange for furniture and other property one month later, according to federal documents.
Ricky Walker offered to sell firearms to a flea- market customer in exchange for furniture and other personal items Sept. 7, 2011, and provided a list of firearms to a flea-market customer that day, according to his indictment.
Federal, state and local officials had a press conference in Warren on April 17 to announce they had conducted a 10-month investigation named “Little D-Town” that attempted to round up those dealing in illegal drugs and firearms.
Officials said they purchased or seized 155 firearms during the investigation.
The investigation resulted in the indictment of 42 people on local charges and 55 people on federal charges. Most of those involved were from the Warren area, and the crimes were committed mostly in the Warren area, officials said.
The investigation was named “Little D-Town” because of the Detroit influence that has gripped the city in recent years. Some of those indicted originally are from Detroit, as are some of the people charged with other violent crimes in recent years.