Bedford County Man Charged With Illegally Possessing Rifle
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - Acting United States Attorney Robert S. Cessar announced today, March 16, 2010, that Sven Gerhard Bruder, formerly of Loysburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The one-count indictment named Bruder, age 30, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, on September 9, 2007, Bruder, who had been convicted in 2001 in Blair County, Pennsylvania, of statutory sexual assault, unlawfully possessed a Remington rifle. Federal law prohibits persons who have been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for more than one year from possessing ammunition or firearms. Statutory sexual assault is such a crime.
Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr., who presented the case to the grand jury, indicated that the law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $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 of the defendant.
According to Mr. Cessar, Bruder is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a collaborative effort by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and communities to prevent, deter, and prosecute gun crime.
The Department of Homeland Security/Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
