March 30, 2007 - United States Attorney Patrick L. Meehan and Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham today announced the filing of a three-count indictment* charging defendant Keith Scutching as follows: with conspiracy to make false statements to a federal firearms dealer, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371; making false statements to a federally licensed firearms dealer in order to “straw purchase” firearms, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 924(a)(1)(A) and 2; and convicted felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).
DEFENDANT |
ADDRESS |
AGE [Date of Birth] |
Keith Scutching |
Philadelphia, PA |
25 |
If convicted, the total maximum penalty faced by defendant Hickman is 20 years imprisonment, three years supervised release, a $750,000 fine, and a $300 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Philadelphia Violent Crime Impact Team, a task force that includes members of the Philadelphia Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Pennsylvania Bureau of Narcotics Investigation (“BNI”).
This initiative is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, formed to attack the problem of violent crime by identifying and prosecuting serious firearms offenders in federal court, where the defendants are likely to receive a substantial sentence upon conviction.
The case has been assigned to Special Assistant United States Attorney Vicki J. Markovitz.
| UNITED
STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EASTERN DISTRICT, PENNSYLVANIA Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 |
Contact: RICH MANIERI Media Contact 215.861.8525 |
*An Indictment or Information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Benjamin Franklin Photo by B. Krist for the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation