Toledo man accused of purchasing firearm for convicted felon
Jun. 24—A North Toledo man arrested this week for allegedly buying a gun for a relative banned from firearms possession faces additional weapons charges in Lucas County Common Pleas Court.
Travon Howard, 27, of the 1500 block of North Erie Street, was arrested Tuesday by federal marshals for the federal warrant, but he is now charged with a felony offense in Lucas County for improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle.
He was held Thursday in the Lucas County jail for the federal charge of knowingly making a false statement in acquisition of a firearm, for which a detention hearing is scheduled Friday in U.S. District Court in Toledo. He waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday before federal Magistrate Judge Darrell Clay, and a grand jury will consider his case at a later date.
Mr. Howard's defense attorney, Adam Nightingale, declined to comment Thursday.
Federal investigators began looking into Mr. Howard after Toledo police executed a search warrant Dec. 16 at the residence of his cousin, Kevion Jones, in the 500 block of Winfield Road. The search yielded large sums of money, ammunition, two empty Glock magazines, marijuana, narcotics paraphernalia, and an empty gun case, according to the federal criminal complaint.
A serial number in the gun case matched a Ruger model 57, 5.7X28 caliber pistol Mr. Howard bought Dec. 4 from Towers Armory in Oregon, and investigators learned he bought a second, identical firearm the same day, the complaint states. A review of surveillance video from the store showed both Mr. Howard and Jones there.
Mr. Howard allegedly filled out two ATF 4473 forms to purchase the firearms, the complaint states, then used money Jones pulled from his pocket to pay the cashier.
After the purchase, Mr. Howard left holding both gun boxes — though he allegedly gave one of the boxes to Jones.
During an interview with police regarding his firearm purchases, Mr. Howard, "admitted to buying his cousin, Jones, the firearm after he purchased the first one for himself. Jones gave his cousin approximately $907 to purchase the firearm.
U.S. marshals arrested Mr. Howard as he entered his vehicle Tuesday in the 5000 block of Whitmer Drive. They observed a loaded 9 mm gun on the front passenger seat, but his concealed-carry license was suspended, according to felony charges filed in Toledo Municipal Court.
Jones is legally barred from receiving or possessing guns or ammunition after his July, 2015, conviction for felonious assault in Lucas County. On Dec. 16, 2020, Jones was also identified as one of 24 Toledo-area residents facing federal drug trafficking charges for allegedly distributing cocaine, cocaine base, and fentanyl in northwest Ohio.
Jones' federal case is pending, and a pretrial conference is scheduled for next month.
He was also indicted by a Lucas County grand jury May 6 for having weapons while under disability and grand theft.
First Published June 24, 2021, 4:57pm
