Department of Justice

Two men were indicted on firearms charges.

 

Christopher J. Alston, 33, of Ashtabula, was charged with being felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Alston on January 24 possessed a loaded pistol after being previously convicted of robbery and trafficking in drugs, according to the indictment.

 

Joshua Walker, 32, of Cleveland, was charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition. Walker possessed shell casings from a 9 mm Luger on October 25, 2017, despite a previous conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine, 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, if any, 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.   They are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Katz (Alston) and John Hanley (Walker).

 

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.