Department of Justice

Four people were indicted in federal court for firearms offenses.

 

Daemonte D. Sims, 27, of Akron, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Sims possessed a Kel-Tec 9 mm pistol and ammunition on January 6, despite previous convictions for robbery, according to the indictment.

 

Lester Walker, Jr., 27, of Youngstown, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Walker possessed a Professional Ordnance 5.56-caliber pistol on October 10, 2018, despite a previous conviction for assault, according to the indictment.

 

Davontiere D. Hollinshed, 27, of Akron, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hollinshed  possessed a Smith & Wesson 9 mm pistol and ammunition on March 29, despite a previous conviction for felonious assault, according to the indictment.

 

Dean Lamont Swain, 36, of Sandusky, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute narcotics. Swain possessed 56 grams of fentanyl, 226 grams of cocaine  and a Ruger .45-caliber handgun on December 7, 2018, despite a previous conviction for robbery, according to the indictment

 

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique

 

to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

 

These cases were investigated by the the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Akron Police Department (Sims) and the Norton Police Department (Hollinshed).  They are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Damoun Delaviz, Christopher J. Joyce and Jason M. Katz.

 

They are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The program was reinvigorated 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

 

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.