Pittston Man Charged With Bringing A Gun Into The Federal Building In Scranton

     The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that it has charged a 58-year-old Pittston resident unlawfully possessing and causing to be present a loaded firearm inside the William J. Nealon Federal Building.

     According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, his office filed a criminal Information yesterday against Jerome Vantaggi, charging him with committing the offense on June 5, 2014.

     The charge against Vantaggi resulted from an investigation by the United States Marshals Service.

     If convicted of the charge, Vantaggi faces up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

     The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa.

     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 case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is 1 year imprisonment, 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.