forrest.jpg

Forest, a Bullmastiff, was found the afternoon of Nov. 26 shot and chained to a tree in Cleveland Heights' Forest Hill Park.

(Special to The Plain Dealer)

Raymone "Ramone" Clements

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cleveland man accused of shooting a dog tied to a tree in Cleveland Heights was sentenced today in federal court to almost 23 years in prison on related firearms charges.

Raymone Clements was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent, who deemed him to be an armed career criminal.

At the end of a four-day trial in April, a jury took 45 minutes to convict the 42-year-old tattoo artist of being a felon in illegal possession of a gun and ammunition.

The two firearms charges stemmed from accusations that Clements tied a bullmastiff to a tree in a Cleveland Heights park last November and then fired four shots at the dog, striking the animal twice.

A Solon woman adopted the wounded dog and nursed it back to health. She named the dog Forrest.

At today's hearing, Clements denied that the gun and ammunition belonged to him and blamed a friend for shooting the dog.

"The bullets and the gun -- you told that story to the jury, and they didn't believe you," Nugent told Clements. "I agree with the jury."

Clements has spent 16 years in prison for two rapes, aggravated robbery, drug trafficking, drug possession and receiving stolen property.