John Ways Jr.

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Charge:	Felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition
Sentence:	10 yrs
Years Imprisoned:	3.9
Year Crime:	2012
Year Convicted:	2014
Year Cleared:	2016
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Nebraska - Federal Case
County or Region of Crime:	Lancaster
City of Crime:	Lincoln
Result:	Judicially Exonerated (Not released due to other charges.)
Summary of Case:	"John Ways Jr. was wrongly convicted on August 27, 2014 in federal court of being a felon in possession of ammunition in Lincoln, Nebraska. Ways' prosecution was based on the discovery of 5.56 mm ammunition during a search of a storage room where his wife and daughter lived -- but Ways did not live. Ways had been indicted on December 19, 2012, and his release on bond was denied. After his conviction by a jury, U. S. District Court Senior Judge Joseph F. Bataillon on March 30, 2015 sentenced Ways to 10 years in prison for his ammunition conviction. On August 11, 2016 the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated Ways' conviction on the basis the prosecution introduced insufficient evidence Ways was guilty. The Court ruled the government presented no evidence at trial that the ammunition belonged to Ways or knew it was in the house, and that while Ways stayed at the house on occasion it wasn't his primary residence, and that his "mere presence [in a house where contraband is located] is not sufficient to support a conviction for possession." On November 10, 2016 Ways' ammunition possession count was dismissed. He was not released because he was convicted of unrelated drug charges, for which he has a scheduled release date of January 12, 2026."
Conviction Caused By:
Innocence Proved By:	"On August 11, 2016 the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated Ways' conviction on the basis the prosecution introduced insufficient evidence Ways was guilty. The Court ruled the government presented no evidence at trial that the ammunition belonged to Ways or knew it was in the house, and that while Ways stayed at the house on occasion it wasn't his primary residence, and that his "mere presence [in a house where contraband is located] is not sufficient to support a conviction for possession.""
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	45
Age When Released:	49
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"United States v. John Ways, Jr., No. 15-1716 (8th Cir., 8-11-2016) (Vacating felon in possession of firearm/ammunition based on insufficient evidence it was in his possession.)"
Information Location 1:	http://media.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/16/08/151716P.pdf
Information Source 2:	"Appeals court overturns conviction of former Lincoln head shop owner, By Riley Johnson (Staff writer), Lincoln Journal Star, August 12, 2016"
Information Location 2:	http://journalstar.com/news/local/911/appeals-court-overturns-conviction-of-former-lincoln-head-shop-owner/article_81b6694f-4c62-554c-ba6c-9e49ca9949df.html
Information Source 3:	"USA v. Ways et al, No. 8:12-cr-00391-JFB-SMB-1 (USDC Dist. Of Nebraska) (Case closed March 30, 2015) (Docket last viewed 3-13-2018)"
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John Ways Jr.

Charge:

Felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition

Sentence:

10 yrs

Years Imprisoned:

3.9

Year Crime:

2012

Year Convicted:

2014

Year Cleared:

2016

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Nebraska - Federal Case

County or Region of Crime:

Lancaster

City of Crime:

Lincoln

Result:

Judicially Exonerated (Not released due to other charges.)

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Innocence Proved By:

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

45

Age When Released:

49

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"United States v. John Ways, Jr., No. 15-1716 (8th Cir., 8-11-2016) (Vacating felon in possession of firearm/ammunition based on insufficient evidence it was in his possession.)"

Information Location 1:

http://media.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/16/08/151716P.pdf

Information Source 2:

"Appeals court overturns conviction of former Lincoln head shop owner, By Riley Johnson (Staff writer), Lincoln Journal Star, August 12, 2016"

Information Location 2:

http://journalstar.com/news/local/911/appeals-court-overturns-conviction-of-former-lincoln-head-shop-owner/article_81b6694f-4c62-554c-ba6c-9e49ca9949df.html

Information Source 3:

"USA v. Ways et al, No. 8:12-cr-00391-JFB-SMB-1 (USDC Dist. Of Nebraska) (Case closed March 30, 2015) (Docket last viewed 3-13-2018)"

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Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: