Scranton Woman Arrested By Federal Agents For Unlawfully Acquiring Firearms

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a Scranton woman was arrested by federal agents yesterday for making false representations in connection with the acquisition of firearms.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, a federal grand jury sitting in Scranton indicted Kimberly Royce, age 49, in October 2014 on two counts of making false statements to a federally licensed firearms dealer in Luzerne County to acquire firearms.  The two-count indictment alleges that Royce obtained a 9mm pistol on January 30, 2013, and a .45 caliber pistol on March 29, 2013, and that she falsely represented that she was not purchasing them for another person and was not an unlawful user of a controlled substance.  Royce surrendered to federal agents this morning.

The charges stem from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Wilkes-Barre Police, and Kingston Police.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

In this case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is 10 years imprisonment on each count, a term of supervised release following 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.