Wyoming County Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of Firearms
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert Hoyt, age 55, of Eaton Township, Wyoming County, pleaded guilty on October 31, 2019, before United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, being an unlawful user of controlled substances in possession of firearms and ammunition.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Hoyt admitted that between November 11, 2018 and April 9, 2019, he possessed six firearms, as well as ammunition, while being a user of methamphetamine and heroin. The charges stem from an incident in which law enforcement authorities searched Hoyt’s residence in Eaton Township and seized six firearms, ammunition and heroin.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Kingston Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement 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 enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce crime.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty for the offense is ten years’ imprisonment and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and
provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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