Philadelphia Man Convicted at Trial of Illegally Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted Felon

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Peter Hutton, 24, of Philadelphia, PA was convicted at trial with possession of a firearm by a felon, arising from a 911 call placed on July 5, 2019, reporting that a man with a gun was seen on Locust Avenue in the Germantown section of Philadelphia.

In February 2020, Hutton was charged by Indictment with one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, stemming from the July 2019 incident and the subsequent arrest of the defendant by Philadelphia Police officers. After the emergency call was received, officers arrived at the scene and immediately saw a man, later identified as Hutton, matching the description provided over police radio. The defendant was standing next to the open rear driver’s side door of a white Toyota Camry. As the officers approached, Hutton looked in the direction of the officers and then leaned into the open door to get into the car. As the defendant did this, the officers saw Hutton reaching into his waistband for what appeared to be a black object.  Officers then removed the defendant from the car and recovered a black Glock, model 19, 9mm semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 12 live rounds of ammunition, in the rear interior of the car.

“The crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm is a serious offense, particularly in a city like Philadelphia, where the problem of gun violence continues to grow every day,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain.  “There is a reason convicted felons like Hutton no longer have the right to possess a potentially lethal weapon.  The answer to Philadelphia’s violent crime crisis is to get criminals like Hutton off the streets, which is exactly what the U.S. Attorney’s Office is focused on as part of our anti-violence strategy.”

“Convicted felons who possess firearms are an inherent danger to the community,” said Eric Degree, acting Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division.  “This conviction highlights the value of the collaborative effort with our local, state, and federal partners to reduce violent crime and helps bring a sense of security to our neighborhoods plagued by gun violence.”

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve 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 law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

 The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mary Kay Costello.