Toledo man sentenced to decade in prison for drug, firearm charges

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - A Toledo man was sentenced to prison on Tuesday after pleading guilty to drug and firearm charges.

The U.S. Department of Justice says U.S. District Judge James Knepp sentenced James Sawyer IV, 33, of Toledo, to 10 years in prison on Aug. 15. Sawyer pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to DOJ, Sawyer was also ordered to pay a $300 special assessment and be placed on supervised release for four years upon release from prison.

Court documents say on April 24, 2022, Toledo police officers responded to a 911 call about a man pointing a gun as passing vehicles. After arriving, officers found Sawyer in the area of Huron and Lagrange

Officers ordered Sawyer to stop and he removed his handgun from his pants, threw it on the ground and was taken into custody.

According to court documents, after Sawyer was arrested, officers recovered the handgun and searched Sawyer’s backpack where they found 28 plastic bags containing approximately 67 grams of methamphetamine.

DOJ says Sawyer was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior felonious assault conviction in Lucas County Common Pleas Court.

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