Gary Robinson, 27, of Akron, was sentenced to 96 months (eight years) in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Philip Calabrese after pleading guilty to distribution of marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and trafficking in firearms.[1] He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment and to pay a $500 fine.[1]
In the summer of 2025, law enforcement was investigating suspected drug trafficking activity in the Akron area, and Robinson was identified as distributing marijuana and trafficking firearms with co-defendant Walter Hicks.[1] Investigators found that Robinson had recruited three women to purchase firearms at licensed dealers in Barberton and Canton, and Hicks recruited a fourth person from a dealer in Coventry Township; the recruited buyers lied on federal forms that they were the true buyers.[1]
In total, Robinson and Hicks trafficked 19 different firearms, which included several 9 mm pistols.[1]
Co-defendants previously sentenced include Walter Hicks, 23, who received 54 months in prison and three years of supervised release; Lilly Palmer and Alonzo Brewer each received three to four years of probation; and Madison Schreckengost received one month in prison and three years of supervised release with home detention and location monitoring.[1] Co-defendant Diamond Taylor, 25, is scheduled to be sentenced on December 3.[1] The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Akron Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brenna L. Fasko for the Northern District of Ohio.[1]
