Grenade launcher among six guns found by Youngstown cops

January 8, 2016 at 12:10a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Among six guns found by police was an AK-47 assault rifle with an attached grenade launcher.

The guns were found Wednesday by members of the city vice squad serving search warrants investigating drug activity at 692 Delaware Ave. and at an apartment at 800 Pennsylvania Ave., both on the North Side.

Police were at the Delaware Avenue home just after 5 p.m. Besides the assault rifle with a 37 mm grenade launcher attached, officers also found a 9 mm handgun and a .45-caliber handgun. There also was $860 in cash, a bag of suspected heroin, a bag of .22-caliber rounds, a bag of suspected cocaine and a marijuana grinder.

Arrested at the home was Garell Williams, 23, of Alameda Avenue, and Mark Burney, 29, who lists the home as his address. They are both in the Mahoning County jail awaiting arraignment in municipal court today.

At the Pennsylvania Avenue apartment, police found a .30-caliber revolver loaded with four rounds, two .45-caliber pistols, a variety of ammunition including .40-caliber rounds, a bulletproof vest, an M-80 firework, two marijuana grinders, three bags of suspected marijuana, a bag of suspected crack cocaine and a scale.

Arrested there were Damian Williams, 38, of Youngstown; Eric Fetty, 33, of Youngstown; Damon Jones, 25, of Dupont Avenue, and David Daniels, 23, of Youngstown. Daniels was arrested on an outstanding warrant, and the other three face drug charges. They also were taken to the jail and are expected to be arraigned today.

Police Chief Robin Lees said the discovery of the guns was not unusual, even the assault rifle. He said the weaponry has grown more-advanced in the drug trade. Gone are the days of inexpensive handguns, usually small-caliber weapons, which were once a prime target to be banned, the chief said.

“This is just the way things have progressed in the last 30 years,” Lees said.

Lees said the grenade launcher also is not an unusual find. Last year, officers found one similar to the one found Wednesday. It also can fire a .12-gauge shotgun shell.

Police also found two guns Tuesday, giving them eight seized so far this week.