Police find felon in possession of semiautomatic rifle, handgun

YOUNGSTOWN — Reports said parole agents checking on a man Wednesday at an East Indianola Avenue home found a stolen semiautomatic rifle and a handgun with an extended magazine.

Members of the Adult Parole Authority called police about 11 a.m. to the home, where reports said they saw a drum magazine loaded with 7.62mm ammunition in the home of Timothy Fitzgerald, 28, when they walked inside.

Fitzgerald told the agents there was another drum magazine in a bedroom and the agents found a magazine loaded with 5.56mm rounds, reports said. Fitzgerald denied having any weapons, but when agents lifted up the mattress and box spring they found an AR-15 rifle with a loaded magazine and a .40-caliber handgun with an extended magazine.

A records check revealed the rifle was stolen from Jackson Township, reports said.

Fitzgerald was booked into the Mahoning County jail on a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He is expected to be arraigned Friday in municipal court.