Akron man sentenced to nearly four years in prison for firearms conviction

An Akron man was sentenced to nearly four years in prison fo illegally possessing a firearm, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Joe L. Fletcher, age 27, was sentenced to 46 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Christopher Boyko. Fletcher previously pleaded guilty to having a Springfield Armory .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol on Feb. 7, 2014, despite a previous conviction for cocaine trafficking.

"This man had no business possessing a firearm because of his criminal record," Dettelbach said.

"Joe Fletcher is considered to be one of Akron's most dangerous individuals," Akron Police Chief James Nice said. "As a result, the APD collaborated with the U.S. Attorney's Office to bring federal charges against him. Our city is safer today because of this federal conviction."

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Feran following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Akron Police Department.