BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A Cattaraugus County man who was arrested for rape was found to have illegal firearms, according to New York State police.
According to state police, 57-year-old Ronald A. Howard of South Dayton was arrested on Monday on several charges including:
- Second-degree rape
- Second-degree criminal sexual act
- First-degree disseminating indecent material to a minor
- Second-degree possession of a weapon
- Third-degree criminal possession of a weapon
- Registration and serialization of firearms, rifles, shotguns, finished frames or receivers, and unfinished frames or receivers
- Manufacture, transport, disposition and defacement of weapons and dangerous instruments and appliances
- Unlawful purchase of body armor
- Endangering the welfare of a child
Howard is accused of exchanging indecent material with a child and having sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old female victim in Niagara County.
Police said when Howard was arrested for the rape and other sex crime-related charges, a search warrant was executed in South Dayton and he was allegedly in possession of:
- Five handguns without serial numbers
- Two assault rifles without a serial number — one had a silencer
- Two assault rifle receivers without serial numbers
- Multiple large-capacity magazines
- Two ballistic vests
He was processed and is being held at Niagara County Jail for arraignment.
