Plea agreement for Ohio man tied to gun that killed police

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A court filing indicates a plea agreement has been reached for a man charged with providing the gun used to kill two central Ohio police officers.

Federal prosecutors say 30-year-old Gerald Lawson, of suburban Cleveland, bought the handgun that 31-year-old Quentin Smith used in the February slayings of Westerville officers Eric Joering and Anthony Morelli.

A record of a plea agreement was filed in federal court Tuesday. Judge Edmund Sargus scheduled a change of plea hearing for May 31. The U.S. Attorney’s office declined comment until the hearing. A message was left for Lawson’s attorney.

A criminal complaint says Smith gave Lawson the money to buy the gun last summer along with $100 for completing the transaction. Smith wasn’t allowed to have weapons because of a previous burglary conviction.