Toledo Man Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Prison for Possession of Firearms, Ammunition, and Body Armor

A Toledo man was sentenced to nearly six years in prison today after previously being found guilty of three counts related to his possession of 18 firearms, body armor, and more than 40,000 rounds of ammunition despite a previous manslaughter conviction, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland Office.

Richard Schmidt, 48, was sentenced to 71 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary. He was arrested last year following searches of his home and business.

“Someone like Mr. Schmidt simply should not have such easy access to this kind of firepower,” Dettelbach said. “He had a prior homicide conviction and yet was able to assemble an arsenal including 18 firearms, including three assault weapons, 40,000 rounds of ammunition, hundred-plus round ammo clips, and body armor. All kept conveniently on his person or in a shopping mall—along with his ‘list’ of potential targets.

“We owe the FBI and all of law enforcement huge debt for getting to this man before he hurt someone else again,” Dettelbach said.

SAC Anthony said, “Our communities are safer now that Richard Schmidt will be spending significant time behind bars. The FBI is appreciative of the collaboration with the law enforcement agencies involved, specifically the Toledo Police Department, for putting the investigative pieces together to bring this individual to justice.”

Schmidt was convicted of manslaughter in 1990 in the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas. Schmidt was forbidden from possessing firearms, ammunition, or body armor as a result of his conviction.

He was found last in December in possession of two Ruger P95 9mm pistols, a Sig Sauer P250 9mm pistol, a Taurus PT145 pistol, Stag Arms AR-15 rifle, an Armalite AR-10 rifle, a Mossberg 500 12-gauge shotgun, a Remington 870 Express 12-gauge shotgun, a Winchester M94 30/30 rifle, a Winchester M190 .22-caliber rifle, a Remington M700 rifle, a Mossberg M535 12-gauge shotgun, a Russian American Armory SAIGA 12-gauge shotgun, a Federal Arms Corporation FA 91 .308-caliber rifle, an Eagle Arms 5.56-caliber rifle, a Rock River Arms AR-15 rifle, a Ruger Mark II pistol, and a Sturm-Ruger .375 magnum pistol, as well as body armor and more than 40,000 rounds of ammunition.

Schmidt also pleaded guilty to trafficking in counterfeit goods, specifically goods with counterfeit logos and brandname markings of the National Football League, Nike, Reebok, and Louis Vuitton.

All the aforementioned items were found following searches of Schmidt’s home on Marlow Road in Toledo, the store he operated, Spindletop Sports Zone, in Bowling Green, Ohio, and trailers in the parking lot of the shopping center that includes Spindeltop Sports Zone. Investigators also recovered seven high-capacity magazines during the search, according to court records.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Duncan T. Brown following an investigation by the FBI, with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations;the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; U.S. Border Patrol; the Ohio State Highway Patrol; the Toledo Police Department; the Bowling Green Police Department; and the Wood County Sheriff’s Office.