YOUNGSTOWN — Six Cleveland defendants and one from Euclid were sentenced in recent months in U.S. District Court for their role in a firearms-trafficking conspiracy according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

Malachi Berry, 22, Darvell Jackson, 21, Steven Armstrong, 20, Nimar Linder, 22, Terrez Wilson, 20, Maurice Hardman, 20, all of Cleveland, and Brandon Kimbrough, 24, of Euclid, were each sentenced to prison. U.S. District Court Judge Benita Y. Pearson presided over the case.

The investigation into the group was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with assistance from other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to focus on the reduction of gun-crime violence, the release states.

Berry was sentenced to 89 months in prison for conspiracy to possess machine guns and conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license. According to court documents, he was responsible for arranging the sales of 13 firearms, including some that were reported stolen and had the serial numbers obliterated.

Jackson was sentenced to 168 months in prison for conspiracy to possess a machine gun, conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

According to court documents, he sold seven firearms, including at least one stolen firearm, some with high-capacity magazines and four machinegun-conversion devices.

Linder was sentenced to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, Linder possessed and sold five firearms, including multi-caliber pistols with high-capacity magazines and a pistol with an obliterated serial number.

Wilson was sentenced to 26 months in prison for possession of a machine gun. According to court documents, he sold a Glock, Model 22, .40 caliber pistol with a machine gun conversion device knowing that the firearm was intended to be trafficked.

Hardman was sentenced to 33 months in prison for possession of a machine gun and conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license. According to court documents, he sold a Glock pistol with an affixed machine gun conversion device. In a separate transaction, Hardman sold another Glock pistol.

Kimbrough was sentenced to 29 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, Kimbrough possessed and sold a Taurus pistol with a high-capacity magazine.

Armstrong was sentenced to 26 months in prison for possession of a machine gun. According to court documents, he admitted he could acquire “buttons,” a term used for machine gun conversion devices, and “ghost Glocks,” a term used for privately made, unserialized firearms. Armstrong also sold a machine gun conversion device.

Assisting the ATF in the investigation were Cleveland police, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI and others.