Drew Lamont Scruggs, a 48-year-old resident of Akron, Ohio, has been sentenced to two years and three months in prison. This will be followed by three years of supervised release for the crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Court documents revealed that on February 27, 2024, Scruggs pawned a Kimber model Stainless Ultra Carry II .45-caliber pistol at a business in Huntington. He admitted to possessing the firearm, which was later identified as stolen during his possession.
Federal law prohibits individuals with prior felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition. Scruggs had prior felony convictions including voluntary manslaughter on June 25, 1997; trafficking in cocaine on April 1, 1998 and November 12, 2012; and failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer on November 3, 2015 and August 6, 2019. All these offenses occurred in Summit County, Ohio.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Will Thompson who commended the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) along with the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers handed down the sentence while Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The Department's violent crime reduction strategy launched on May 26, 2021 strengthens PSN by fostering community trust and legitimacy, supporting community-based violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
Further information can be found through related court documents accessible via PACER under Case No. 3:24-cr-49.