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Two Ohio Men Sentenced in Separate Federal Drug and Child Exploitation Cases

The Highland County Press reported sentences of 247 months and 240 months in two federal prosecutions brought in northern Ohio.

4 reports on this incident · first at Aug 13, 2026, 8:52 p.m. ET

By AI ReporterUpdated Aug 14, 2026, 1:22 a.m. ET
The Highland County Press has reported two federal sentencings in northern Ohio involving Robert Parham, 55, of Akron, and Scotty L. Skiba, 39, of Salem, Ohio. Both matters were brought in the district the outlet described variously as the "" and "." Both defendants are at the stage of proceedings. The outlet's report on drug trafficking offenses describes charges of three counts of felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, four counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, possession of a machine gun, and maintaining a drug involved premises. According to that report, the government says federal agents investigating suspected drug trafficking in the Akron area executed a search warrant at Parham's Akron apartment on July 2, 2024, seizing 178 grams of methamphetamine, 142 grams of cocaine, 355 grams of fentanyl, drug trafficking paraphernalia, 28 firearms including two stolen firearms and one outfitted with an attached machine gun conversion device, marijuana, ecstasy tablets, three cellphones and $1,907.88 in U.S. currency. The outlet's second report concerns counts of Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct and Possession of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). According to court documents and evidence presented in court as described in that report, from about July 2024 to June 2025 investigators found that Skiba was knowingly receiving and distributing digital files containing images of the sexual abuse of children; a search warrant at his residence yielded multiple electronic devices, and forensic analysis revealed Skiba possessed more than 1,500 images and videos of CSAM. Investigators also learned Skiba had previously engaged in sexual contact with two minors, the report said. On the sentences, the reporting gives two figures that it does not reconcile against one another: in one account, and 240 months (20 years) in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, $40,000 in restitution to victims and $10,000 toward the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Assistance Act in the other. Both figures are attributed to The Highland County Press. No maximum penalty figure was cited in the reporting. The agencies named as investigating the two matters are the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the FBI Akron Resident Agency, the Akron Police Department, the FBI Youngstown Resident Agency, the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, the Noble County Sheriff's Office and the Southeastern Human Trafficking Task Force, according to the reports.

Earlier reports

  1. Aug 13, 2026, 9:12 p.m. ET

    Akron Man Sentenced to 247 Months in Federal Drug and Firearms Case

    Robert Parham, 55, of Akron, has been sentenced to 247 months — 20.5 years — in prison in the Northern District of Ohio, according to reporting by the Highland County Press. The charges in the case were three counts of felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, four counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, possession of a machine gun, and maintaining a drug involved premises, the outlet reported.

    The government says that federal agents investigating suspected drug trafficking in the Akron area executed a search warrant at Parham's Akron apartment on July 2, 2024. According to the government's account as reported by the Highland County Press, agents seized 178 grams of methamphetamine, 142 grams of cocaine, 355 grams of fentanyl, drug trafficking paraphernalia, 28 firearms including two stolen firearms and one outfitted with an attached machine gun conversion device, marijuana, ecstasy tablets, three cellphones and $1,907.88 in U.S. currency.

    The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the FBI's Akron Resident Agency and the Akron Police Department, the outlet reported.

    The reporting available on the case describes it at the sentencing stage but does not say how Parham's charges were resolved — whether by guilty plea or by trial. That point remains unclear, and this account does not assert one or the other.

  2. Aug 13, 2026, 9:02 p.m. ET

    Akron Man Sentenced to 247 Months in Federal Drug and Firearms Case

    Robert Parham, 55, of Akron has been sentenced to 247 months in prison — described as 20.5 years — in a federal case in the Northern District of Ohio, according to reporting by the Highland County Press.

    The charges in the case were three counts of felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, four counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, possession of a machine gun, and maintaining a drug involved premises, the outlet reported.

    According to the same report, the government said federal agents investigating suspected drug trafficking in the Akron area executed a search warrant at Parham's Akron apartment on July 2, 2024, and seized 178 grams of methamphetamine, 142 grams of cocaine, 355 grams of fentanyl, drug trafficking paraphernalia, 28 firearms including two stolen firearms and one outfitted with an attached machine gun conversion device, marijuana, ecstasy tablets, three cellphones and $1,907.88 in U.S. currency.

    The Highland County Press reported that the investigating agencies were the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the FBI's Akron Resident Agency and the Akron Police Department.

  3. Aug 13, 2026, 8:52 p.m. ETFirst report

    Akron Man Sentenced to 247 Months on Drug and Firearms Charges

    An Akron man has been sentenced to 247 months — 20.5 years — in prison on drug trafficking and firearms offenses in the Northern District of Ohio, according to reporting by the Highland County Press. The defendant is identified as Robert Parham, 55, of Akron.

    The charges listed in the case are three counts of felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, four counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, possession of a machine gun, and maintaining a drug involved premises.

    According to the government's account as reported, federal agents investigating suspected drug trafficking in the Akron area executed a search warrant at Parham's Akron apartment on July 2, 2024. The search is said to have recovered 178 grams of methamphetamine, 142 grams of cocaine and 355 grams of fentanyl, along with drug trafficking paraphernalia, 28 firearms including two stolen firearms and one outfitted with an attached machine gun conversion device, marijuana, ecstasy tablets, three cellphones and $1,907.88 in U.S. currency.

    The investigating agencies are listed as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the FBI Akron Resident Agency and the Akron Police Department. This account is based on a single report and remains developing; further details of the proceedings were not available in the material reviewed.

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Revision history

  1. Version 214 Aug 2026, 05:22current

    Added a second sentencing (Scotty L. Skiba, child exploitation counts) from a second Highland County Press report, the additional investigating agencies, and both reported sentence figures presented as an unreconciled pair.

  2. Version 114 Aug 2026, 01:02current

    First published.

  3. Version 114 Aug 2026, 00:52current

    First published.

  4. Version 114 Aug 2026, 01:12current

    First published.

  5. Version 114 Aug 2026, 00:57

    First published.

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