ATF names agent to lead Toledo office

4/16/2004

A 16-year veteran of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives will lead the agency's Toledo field office, beginning Monday.

Special Agent Kyle A. Walton will replace Special Agent Steve Zellers, who was promoted to bureau headquarters in Washington, Senior Special Agent Patrick Berarducci said yesterday.

Mr. Zellers will be part of the field management staff for the ATFE's assistant director.

Mr. Walton, 41, currently is assigned as the coordinator for the Youth Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative and the Project Safe Neighborhood program for the ATFE's Cleveland office.

In Toledo, he will oversee criminal enforcement operations in the city and 21 surrounding counties in northwest Ohio. The counties include: Allen, Auglaize, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Huron, Lucas, Marion, Mercer, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Van Wert, Williams, Wood, and Wyandot.

This will be Mr. Walton's first stint as a supervisor.

According to the ATFE, he graduated from Kent State University with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice studies. He received a master's degree in public administration from the University of Akron while assigned to the Cleveland ATFE office.

As the area coordinator, he worked closely with Cleveland police and the U.S. Attorney's Office in investigating firearms-related crimes and recoveries and helping with prosecutions under federal and state firearms laws.

The Philadelphia native is a former defensive back for the Kent State University football team.