Springfield, Ohio, felon Donald May, 32, is headed for prison after pleading guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm, a charge that hits hard in a city already grappling with gun violence. May, no stranger to the law, admitted in U.S. District Court to holding a weapon he’s legally barred from touching due to prior felony convictions.
The arrest unfolded in August 2016 when Springfield police responded to a report of a stolen vehicle. Officers spotted May behind the wheel and ordered him out. Instead of complying, he bolted on foot, sprinting to a nearby yard before being tackled and taken into custody. The vehicle was confirmed stolen, and a loaded firearm was found inside—positioned within reach of the driver’s seat.
According to the Statement of Facts filed with the plea agreement, May acknowledged the truth of the circumstances, including his presence in the stolen car and the presence of the firearm. No shots were fired, but the stakes were high: a man with a violent criminal past now in possession of a weapon capable of escalating any street encounter in seconds.
May’s record is littered with felony convictions, including aggravated burglary and burglary—both out of Clark County. Those convictions automatically stripped him of his right to own or carry a firearm under federal law. Yet, he made the reckless choice to do so anyway, testing the city’s patience and the reach of law enforcement.
As part of the plea deal, prosecutors and defense counsel jointly recommended a 72-month federal prison sentence. The final call rests with U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose, who will weigh the agreement against the severity of the offense and May’s criminal history. If approved, May will face years behind bars, far from the streets where he once moved freely with a gun in reach.
Benjamin C. Glassman, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, praised the work of the Springfield Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for their role in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex R. Sistla is prosecuting the case, underscoring the federal government’s relentless push to remove illegal guns from the hands of violent offenders. For May, the cost of one poor decision could be six long years in prison.
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