Akron Drug and Firearms Trafficker Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison

CLEVELAND - A 27-year-old man who recruited others to buy firearms on his behalf, known as "straw purchasing," was sentenced to prison for violating firearms and controlled substance laws throughout Summit County and the surrounding regions.

Gary Robinson, of Akron, was sentenced to 96 months (eight years) in prison, along with a $500 fine, 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
• Trafficking in Firearms

He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment.

According to court documents, in the summer of 2025, law enforcement was investigating suspected drug trafficking activity in the Akron area and Robinson was subsequently identified. In addition to distributing marijuana, Robinson was involved in firearms trafficking along with co-defendant, Walter Hicks. Investigators found that Robinson had recruited three women to purchase firearms at licensed dealers in Barberton and Canton. Hicks recruited a fourth person to purchase firearms from another dealer in Coventry Township. During the investigation, agents learned that the individuals who were recruited to buy the firearms lied on federal forms that they were the true buyers. Once they purchased the firearms, which included several 9 mm pistols, they gave them to Robinson and Hicks to be trafficked. In total, Robinson and Hicks trafficked 19 different firearms.

The following co-defendants, all of Akron, were previously sentenced as follows:

• Walter Hicks, 23 - 54 months (4.5 years) and three years of supervised release
• Lilly Palmer, 23 - four years of probation
• Alonzo Brewer, 22 - three years of probation
• Madison Schreckengost, 23 - one month in prison and three years of supervised release with first four months home detention with location monitoring.

Co-defendant Diamond Taylor, 25, is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 3.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Akron Police Department.

This prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Brenna L. Fasko for the Northern District of Ohio.