Man enters plea in Youngstown gun case

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — Sentencing will be Oct. 30 for a man who pleaded guilty Tuesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to two gun charges stemming from a March traffic stop.

Jamar Sklenchar, 25, entered his pleas before Judge Anthony Donofrio to charges of attempted being a felon in possession of a firearm, a third-degree felony; and improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony.

The charges came after a March 7 traffic stop on the West Side when a car Sklenchar was a passenger in was pulled over about 8:30 p.m. in a cul-de-sac on Tyrell Avenue for not having a license plate. When police did a record check, they discovered the driver had a suspended license, and Sklenchar had a warrant for possession of cocaine from both the Campbell and Columbiana police departments.

Because the driver had a suspended license and the car was being towed, police searched it and found a loaded .380-caliber semiautomatic pistol that was hidden in a panel in the passenger’s side, reports said.

Reports said Sklenchar told police he has a concealed carry permit, but a check of records shows that Sklenchar does not have a permit, reports said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com.