Department of Justice

BOSTON – A Boston man was charged yesterday with being a felon in possession of a loaded semi-automatic pistol.

Tyrone Goforth, 40, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston today, Goforth was returned to state custody.

According to the criminal complaint, on July 31, 2020, Goforth possessed a black Sig Sauer P938 9mm semi-automatic pistol, loaded with five rounds of 9mm ammunition. Due to a prior conviction, Goforth is prohibited from possessing firearms, and does not possess a federal license to sell firearms.

The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Dawley of Lelling’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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