Cleveland Felons Face Federal Gun Charges

GRIMY TIMES EXCLUSIVE: Five Cleveland men are facing federal charges for illegal gun possession, authorities announced. The suspects—Kevin M. Bembry, 28; Alfred Jones, Jr., 31; Vincent Pickett, 26; Allen L. Tyes, 33; and Richard Warren, 47—are alleged to have been felons in possession of firearms or ammunition.

According to U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach, these cases are unrelated but share a common priority: keeping guns out of the hands of those who are legally prohibited from owning them. “Whether it’s a violent criminal, an illegal straw purchaser, or a felon trying to circumvent the law, we will aggressively pursue anyone violating our nation’s firearms laws,” Dettelbach said.

Bembry, for instance, is accused of possessing a .357-caliber revolver on January 24th, despite a previous conviction for attempted felonious assault. Jones faces charges for having a .380-caliber pistol and nine rounds of ammunition on January 15th, following convictions for drug trafficking and involuntary manslaughter.

Pickett’s case involves a 12-gauge shotgun shell found in his possession on February 13th, while Tyes was caught with a .45-caliber pistol and ammunition on February 11th. Both men had previous convictions for attempted felonious assault and being felons in possession of a firearm.

Richard Warren, 47, is charged with possessing a .45-caliber revolver and ammunition on January 8th. He has prior convictions for aggravated robbery, felonious assault, and aggravated burglary.

The investigation into these cases was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Cleveland Division of Police, East Cleveland Police, the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Police, and the Ohio Adult Parole Authority. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly L. Galvin is leading the prosecution.