The city of Akron will not return an arsenal of weapons belonging to Akron veteran Larry Modic after the city tore down his condemned house on Manchester Road. The city in a new release says the weapons were used to make death threats to city employees, and will not be returned to Modic unless a court orders them returned.

Modic had requested that the rifles and ammunition be returned to him.

During a search of his property, before the home demolition, police officers found a loaded large caliber rifle with a scope, two other loaded large caliber rifles, a loaded shotgun and a loaded handgun, additional ammunition and body armor.

News Release From The City Of Akron

Akron, Ohio (March 14, 2013) – Lawrence Modic, a property owner who made numerous serious threats to City employees leading up to the demolition of his condemned property, is now seeking to have his arsenal of weapons returned to him.

In the beginning of the media frenzy surrounding this case, the City was tipped off by a reliable source that there was a stash of weapons being stored by Modic in his property that the City had condemned. This tip came on the heels of very real and menacing threats to City employees as they were carrying out their responsibilities on behalf of the neighborhood. The threats included death threats. The threats were not only made to the City workers, but were reiterated by Modic as Modic “showed off” his loaded rifles to the source.

Subsequent to the threats and information about the location of weapons, Modic gave permission to the officers to search the condemned property. During that search, the officers found a loaded large caliber rifle with scope, two other loaded large caliber rifles, a loaded shotgun, a loaded large caliber handgun, additional ammunition, body armor, and MRE’s (military style ready to eat meals). Then, when the City permitted Modic to remove the items he had previously abandoned at the property, Modic revealed that there was another loaded handgun stashed at the house. As a result, a loaded 22 caliber handgun was also confiscated.

Now, Modic wants his weapons back. The City is not going to return any weapons to Modic unless ordered to do so by a Court.       

“After reviewing the applicable laws, we are not returning the weapons to Modic because we believe that Revised Code Section 2923.13 (having weapons while under disability) applies, a violation of which is a 3rd degree felony,” said Akron’s Chief Prosecutor Gertrude Wilms. “We feel that Modic may continue to be a threat to himself and others, and in no way will my department be responsible for returning these weapons to him. We will only return these weapons if ordered by a Court to do so.”