YOUNGSTOWN — Leonard Sykes, 51, who was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison Jan. 7 in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court after being convicted at trial of three counts of rape and other offenses, was arraigned Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Cleveland on a drug charge and two weapons charges.

A plea of not guilty was entered for Sykes before Judge Donald Nugent, and the judge ordered that Sykes remain detained under the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Sykes has a trial date of 8:30 a.m. March 3, and a final pretrial conference by telephone set for 9 a.m. Feb. 24. Sykes is represented by attorney Craig Weintraub.

Sykes was indicted Dec. 19 on possession with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin and fentanyl; being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.

His indictment alleges that on or about Sept. 10, Sykes knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute over 40 grams of a mixture and substance containing cocaine, herein and fentanyl.

The indictment states that in 2013, he was convicted of heroin possession in U.S. District Court and served a prison sentence of more than 12 months. He was released from prison within 15 years of him committing the new offenses, the indictment alleges.

Also on Sept. 10, Sykes knowingly possessed a semi automatic pistol that had been “shipped and transported in interstate commerce,” despite Sykes having been previously convicted of crimes punishable by imprisonment for more than one year, his indictment states.

It listed the crimes: possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of heroin with intent to distribute, both in February of 2013 in federal court in Western Pennsylvania; and heroin trafficking in November of 2017 in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

And thirdly on Sept. 10, Sykes possessed the semi automatic firearm “in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime for which he may be prosecute in a court of the United States, that being possession with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin and fentanyl, as charged in count 1 of this indictment,” Sykes’ indictment states.

The indictment states that as a result of the offenses charged, the government will seek forfeiture of property “derived from, any proceeds obtained, directly or indirectly, as a result of such violations; any and all property used or intended to be used, in any manner or part, to commit or facilitate the commission of such violations; and any and all firearms involved in or used in commission of such violations.”

TRIAL

Sykes was living with his mother in a Youngstown apartment in 2022 when a runaway girl, 12, was located at the apartment, according to testimony and opening statements in Sykes’ rape trial in Mahonining County Common Pleas Court.

She told authorities that she engaged in sex with Sykes. But when she testified in Sykes’ trial, she said her earlier statements accusing Sykes of having sex with her were not true. But Judge Anthony Donofrio, who heard the case without a jury at Sykes’ request, found Sykes guilty of three counts of rape and single counts of importuning and disseminating material harmful to a juvenile, all felonies.

In the judge’s written finding of guilt, he stated that the girl appeared to have recanted statements she made to five separate people disclosing the sexual activity with Sykes because she felt pressured by other people to not let him go to jail.