Luzerne County Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Possession Of A Stolen Firearm By A Convicted Felon

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that James Alberto, age 38, of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on January 8, 2025, to 120 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a stolen firearm.

According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Alberto was convicted on May 7, 2025, following a three-day jury trial. The evidence presented at trial established that on August 12, 2021, Alberto was found asleep behind the wheel of a running vehicle stopped at a stop sign, with his foot on the brake and a line of cars stopped behind him.  Law enforcement searched the vehicle and ultimately discovered a stolen firearm in the glove compartment.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department (WBPD), and the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP).  Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah R. Lloyd and James M. Buchanan prosecuted the case.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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