Nine people – including men with previous convictions for attempted murder, domestic violence and felonious assault with a firearm -- indicted for firearms crimes

Indicted are: Darien L. Griffin, 22, of Cleveland; Deangelo Harris, 26, of Cleveland; Larrell Hazzard, of Cleveland; Deayre Horton, 32, of Cleveland; Anthony King, 25, of Canton; Treavon McCullough, 36, of Toledo; Anthony J. Schaffer, 32, of Canfield, and John Joseph Smoter, 39, of Ravenna.

“These cases demonstrate again why firearms enforcement is vital to making our community safer,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “These defendants include people convicted of attempted murder, domestic violence, felonious assault with a firearm and other crimes. These defendants have no business carrying firearms or ammunition.”

“ATF’s core mission is reducing violent gun crime in our communities,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Roland Herndon.  “We work side by side with our federal, state, and local partners to follow the gun and remove the most violent criminals from our streets.”

Griffin possessed a Glock .45-caliber pistol and ammunition on December 28, 2018, despite having previously been convicted of attempted felonious assault and robbery, according to the indictment.

Harris possessed 18 rounds of 9 mm ammunition on December 1, 2018, despite a previous conviction for felonious assault with a firearms specification, according to the indictment.

Hazzard possessed a Smith & Wesson .40-caliber handgun on December 5, 2018, despite a previous conviction for aggravated assault, according to the indictment.

Horton possessed a Taurus 9 mm pistol and ammunition on October 26, 2018, despite previous convictions for robbery and two counts of attempted murder with a firearms specification, according to the indictment.

King possessed a Beretta 9 mm pistol and ammunition on August 8, 2018, despite a previous conviction for robbery, according to the indictment.

McCullough possessed a CZ 9 mm pistol on May 27, 2018, despite previous convictions for aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, being a felon in possession of a firearm and other crimes, according to the indictment.

Schaffer possessed a Smith & Wesson 9 mm pistol and ammunition on January 16, 2019, while being on supervised release for a previous federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the indictment.

Smoter on January 8, 2019, possessed 14 firearms and ammunition, despite a previous conviction for domestic violence, 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 records, 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 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. PSN was reinvigorated in 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.

These cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cleveland Division of Police, the Lorain Police Department, the Toledo Police Department, the Elyria Police Department, the Akron Police Department and the Portage County Parole Authority. They are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter E. Daly, Payum Daroodian, John C. Hanley, Jody King, Alissa Sterling, David M. Toepfer and Scott Zarzycki.

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.