Pittsburgh Felon Charged With Unlawful Possession of a Pistol and Ammunition
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count Indictment, returned on January 7, named Aaron Lyons, 25, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about November 19, 2019, Lyons, a convicted felon, unlawfully possessed a .40 caliber Smith and Wesson pistol and 11 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. The Indictment also alleges that the defendant had been convicted in April 2018 of unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney David Lew is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reductions efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevent and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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