Youngstown man gets fed prison term on weapons charge

CLEVELAND — A Youngstown man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, the U.S. attorney said today.

Lawrence J. Johnson, 52, an armed career criminal, illegally possessed a 9mm pistol Aug. 12, despite four felony convictions in state court, the U.S. attorney said.

These were attempted robbery in 1982 and robbery in 1983, both in Mahoning County; and robbery in 1997 and complicity to aggravated robbery with a firearm in 2005, both in Trumbull County.

This federal gun case was investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.