Rodney S. Knotts, 55, from Ravenna, Ohio, has been sentenced to 20 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm as a felon. According to court documents and statements made in court, Knotts sold firearms, ammunition, and firearms parts in Ritchie County despite being prohibited from possessing firearms due to three prior felony convictions.
In a separate case, Daniel Earl Spell, 35, of Fairmont, West Virginia, admitted to two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm. Court records indicate that Spell possessed a pistol in Marion County while having a prior domestic battery conviction and a felony conviction in Monongalia County, both of which bar him from owning firearms.
Spell could face up to 15 years in prison for each count. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge after reviewing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Rhee is prosecuting both cases. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigations.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative by the Department of Justice that focuses on combating illegal immigration and organized crime while protecting communities from violent offenders through collaboration with Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided over these proceedings.
