U.S. Attorney files 167 gun indictments

Staff report

CLEVELAND

The U.S. attorney reported filing 167 firearms indictments in northern Ohio last year, of which 86 came from the Cleveland office, 34 from the Youngstown office, 27 from Akron and 20 from Toledo.

Among them were notable federal cases from Warren and Niles, the U.S. attorney said.

Lewis Powell, 37, of Warren was sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison for being an unlicensed gun dealer and conspiring to possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine.

Powell sold 20 guns, including three with obliterated serial numbers, as well as selling heroin, according to court documents.

Michael Green, 34, of Niles was sentenced to 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of guns, ammunition and body armor.

Green had previous convictions for burglary, assault on a peace officer and failure to comply with a police order, the U.S. attorney said.

The number of gun indictments filed by the U.S. attorney in northern Ohio rose from 117 in 2002 to a peak of 220 in 2005 and has fluctuated in recent years.

There were 207 such indictments in 2013.