Two Canton men with prior homicide convictions were indicted on firearms and drug trafficking charges, law enforcement officials said.
Named in the seven-count indictment are Maurice A. Stewart, 39 and William W. Moore, 37. A third man, Jason E. Cousins, 45, also of Canton, was also indicted on a firearms charge.
Stewart and Moore are charged with possession with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine, cocaine and crack cocaine.
Stewart and Moore are also charged with using firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
Moore was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment alleges that he had a Glock model 23 handgun, a Smith and Wesson SD9 handgun and ammunition on Nov. 17, 2016, despite a 2000 conviction for murder in Michigan.
Stewart was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment alleges that he had a Glock model 23 handgun, a Smith and Wesson SD9 handgun and ammunition on Nov. 17, 2016, despite a 2002 conviction for involuntary manslaughter in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.
Cousins was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment alleges that he had a Windham Weaponry AR-15 and Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun despite 2006 convictions for possession of cocaine and carrying a concealed weapon in the Summit County Court of Common Pleas.
The indictment seeks to forfeit the aforementioned firearms and ammunition, as well as Bullet Safe body armor and $10,904 in cash.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron P. Howell following an investigation by the US Marshals Fugitive Task Force, the Canton Police Department, the FBI’s Canton office and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Akron office.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentences will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases they will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.