Delta man pleads guilty to possessing illegal machine gun
Aug. 4—A Swancreek Township man who allegedly made violent threats against left-wing activists pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegal possession of a machine gun, a charge he previously denied.
Ronald Grab, 74, now faces up to 10 years in federal prison along with a fine of up to $250,000 following the change-of-plea hearing before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Helmick. He signed an 11-page plea agreement in exchange, in part, for a prosecutorial promise not to file additional charges against him.
The FBI arrested Mr. Grab after a Sept. 11 search of his rural homestead southeast of Delta turned up 16 firearms including a semi-automatic, AR-15 type rifle along with a lower receiver that could convert that rifle to fully automatic capability. A federal grand jury indicted him on the single machine-gun charge related to that multi-caliber BCI Defense SQS-15 rifle on Oct. 9 and he pleaded not guilty two weeks later before Judge Helmick.
Federal prosecutors on Tuesday outlined threats Mr. Grab made both in-person and online noting his dislike for left-wing activists and desire to commit acts of violence against them.
Mr. Grab remained held without bond Tuesday in the Lucas County jail pending his Dec. 21 sentencing.
