Berea Gun Show Theft Gets Cleveland Man Convicted

BEREA, OH — During a 2016 gun show in Berea, a Cleveland man with a history of kidnapping and felonious assault stole a .45-caliber pistol. Anthony Lett, 40, was convicted this week for that theft.

"This is a person with a long history of violence who has no business having a firearm," U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. "Our community is safer with him behind bars."

Lett was convicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of being in possession of a stolen firearm. His trial lasted two days in the U.S. District Court. The 40-year-old will be sentenced on August 29.

During a gun show at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds, Lett snatched a Kahr Arms .45-caliber pistol. He was soon tracked by police and fled into the woods behind the fairgrounds, Cory Shaffer from cleveland.com reported at the time. A police dog and multiple law enforcement agencies were called in to search for him. Lett was eventually found and taken into custody.

His arrest came just hours after Cleveland Police got a warrant charging Lett with rape and aggravated assault. Police said that during that incident a woman was raped at gunpoint and her husband was shot multiple times.

He was previously convicted of kidnapping, felonious assault, carrying a concealed weapon, drug trafficking and other crimes, according to court documents.

Lett is currently serving 20 years in state prison for rape, attempted murder, aggravated robbery and other crimes, court document said.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Berea Police Department, led the investigation into Lett. They got aid from the Cleveland Division of Police.

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