Rashad Mathews, 28, of Youngstown, is staring down federal time after a grand jury indicted him on four counts tied to illegal firearm possession and marijuana distribution. The charges, unsealed by U.S. Attorney Carole S. Rendon, expose a pattern of armed drug activity stretching across 2015.
On April 15, 2015, Mathews possessed a Ruger, model 10/22, .22 caliber rifle and ammunition—already a federal offense due to his 2007 felony conviction in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. That prior conviction stripped him of the right to own or handle any firearms, yet the indictment reveals he escalated months later.
By December 1, 2015, Mathews was in possession of four handguns: a Norinco, model 213, 9mm pistol; a Kahr Arms, model CW9, 9mm pistol; a Raven Arms, model MP-25, .25 caliber pistol; and another Raven Arms, model P-25, .25 caliber pistol. All were held in violation of federal law prohibiting felons from possessing firearms.
The indictment doesn’t stop at guns. Mathews is also charged with distributing marijuana on June 4, 2015, and, on December 1, 2015, possessing marijuana with intent to distribute. The overlap of drug activity and illegal weapons points to a dangerous nexus federal prosecutors are moving aggressively to dismantle.
If convicted, Mathews faces a sentence determined by the court based on factors including his criminal history, role in the offenses, and severity of the violations. While the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, federal guidelines could still land him behind bars for years.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David M. Toepfer. An indictment is not evidence of guilt—Mathews is presumed innocent until the government proves its case beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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