Toledo man indicted on weapons charges

1/16/2013
BLADE STAFF

A Toledo man whose Bowling Green store was recently searched for counterfeit sports memorabilia was indicted in federal court today on multiple weapons charges, including being a felon in possession of firearms.

Richard Schmidt, 47, of Marlow Road, was charged with crimes related to his possession of 18 firearms, body armor, and more than 40,000 rounds of ammunition.

The indictment was unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Toledo more than three weeks after federal authorities searched Schmidt’s Toledo home and sports memorabilia store at Woodland Mall. At the time, authorities said they searched Spindletop Sports Zone at the mall, at trailers behind the store, and Schmidt’s home to find suspected counterfeit merchandise.

Schmidt was arrested Dec. 21 and has since been held in custody.

According to an affidavit filed in federal court by a special agent with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, several firearms and ammunition were found during the search, including parts and ammunition for assault rifles. The affidavit also indicated that Schmidt had previously been convicted in Lucas County Common Pleas Court in 1990 for manslaughter.

In a statement released today, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Steven Dettelbach said it was “deeply troubling” that Schmidt was in possession of “an arsenal.”

“We owe the FBI and our other law enforcement partners our thanks that they caught this man, with 18 firearms -- some of them assault weapons – high-capacity magazines, more than 40,000 rounds of ammunition, and a bulletproof vest stored in a locked room in a mall, before anyone was hurt,” he said.

Schmidt is charged with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count each of being a felon in possession of body armor and trafficking in counterfeit goods.