Fulton County Man Charged Federally With Firearms Violations

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced that a federal grand jury in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, handed down a three-count indictment against Darren L. Hamil, age 43, of Needmore, Fulton County, Pennsylvania.

According to U.S. Attorney Peter Smith, the indictment charges Hamil with two counts of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and with making a false statement in connection with the attempted purchase of a firearm by denying that he had ever been previously convicted of a felony offense.

The charges stem from a December 27, 2014 incident and search at Hamil’s home when Pennsylvania State Police responded to a domestic disturbance report.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and by the Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon Zubrod oversaw the grand jury investigation and has been assigned to prosecute the case.

The maximum sentence Hamil faces is 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

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.

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.