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Man accused of bringing gun into downtown building arraigned
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Bond was set at $35,000 Friday for a man accused of bringing a gun into 20 W. Federal Place.
Ricky Williams Jr., 25, of Almyra Avenue, was arraigned in municipal court before Judge Elizabeth Kobly on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and carrying a concealed weapon. He will have a preliminary hearing Dec. 9.
Williams was arrested about 1:20 p.m. Thursday on North Phelps Street outside of 20 W. Federal Place after police saw him bring a gun inside the city-owned building.
Reports said officers in the department’s Family Investigative Services Unit, who work inside the building, heard an argument outside, and when they looked, Williams was arguing with someone on the street.
The man went inside and Williams followed – but not before getting a gun out of his car and walking into the building.
As those officers searched the building for Williams and called for backup, Williams went back outside, drove around the block and parked in the same spot as before. He then went inside the building, reports said.
When officers saw him inside he was ordered at gunpoint to put his hands up.
Williams was yelling and waving his arms but another officer managed to grab him and place him under arrest. He was then taken outside.
When police looked inside his car, they found the butt end of a handgun sticking out of the center console. That gun was later found to be a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol and it was loaded, reports said.
A small dog was also left in the car after Williams was taken to the jail. A relative of Williams’ came and took the dog.
Assistant City Prosecutor Jeffrey Moliterno told Judge Kobly Williams has two previous weapons convictions as well as an aggravated robbery conviction from Pennsylvania.