Luzerne County Couple Charged With Possession And Sale Of A Stolen Firearm

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today the filing of criminal charges against James Pavlichko, age 29, and Kathryn Teter, age 28, of Nuremberg, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.  The Grand Jury sitting in Scranton returned an Indictment which charges that on April 13, 2015, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Pavlichko and Teter possessed and sold a stolen handgun.  The Indictment also alleges that James Pavlichko illegally possessed that same firearm while having the status of a convicted felon.  

United States Attorney Peter Smith stated that the charges are the result of an investigation conducted by the Kingston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Assistant United States Attorney John Gurganus 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 particular case, the maximum penalty under the federal statutes for each offense is 10 years’ imprisonment, a three year term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $250,000 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.

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