New York Man Convicted Of Being A Felon In Possession Of A Firearm And Ammunition

WILKES-BARRE - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Tyrone Greene, age 43, formerly of New York City, was convicted on October 17, 2017, of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition after a two-day jury trial held before U.S. District Court Judge A. Richard Caputo.

According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, on November 20, 2014, police officers in Hanover Township initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Greene was a passenger.  The vehicle was traveling at night without lights.  The officers detected the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle and located a bag of marijuana in Greene’s pocket.  A subsequent search of Greene, a convicted felon, revealed that he was carrying a fully loaded Beretta pistol.

The investigation was conducted by the Hanover Township Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. O’Hara and Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Partnership (“VCRP”), a district wide initiative to combat the spread of violent crime in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the VCRP consists of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies whose mission is to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit violent crimes with firearms.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Tyrone Greene is facing a maximum possible penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment under federal law, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a 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.

A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

# # #