Braddock Felon Admits Illegally Possessing a Stolen Glock Handgun

PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Braddock, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today in federal court on a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.

Andrea Gray, age 26, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Donetta Ambrose.

According to information provided to the court, on July 21, 2020, Andrea Gray was in a group of about 10 people on a front porch in the 700 block of Baldridge Avenue in Braddock. As someone on the porch was rolling a marijuana cigarette in plain view, Allegheny County Police detectives stopped their car nearby and exited the car wearing clothes identifying them as police.

The group on the porch dispersed, including Mr. Gray who reached for his waistband where he retrieved a black handgun as he ran away. A detective shouted for Mr. Gray to stop and drop the gun. Mr. Gray kept running and threw the handgun into a neighboring backyard. One detective kept chasing Mr. Gray and ultimately took him into custody.

Two detectives recovered the handgun that Mr. Gray threw into the backyard. The gun was a black Glock, Model 22, .40 caliber handgun, bearing serial number NMD679. The Glock was fully loaded with .40 caliber rounds - 11 in the magazine and one in the chamber - and had previously been reported stolen. The Glock also traveled in interstate or foreign commerce after it was manufactured.

Mr. Gray was transported to UPMC Mercy where he volunteered to detectives that he told the group of people on the porch to “take the weed inside,” and when he saw the detectives’ police markings, he knew that it was “over.” After detectives Mirandized Mr. Gray, he waived his rights and admitted that he had the gun. Mr. Gray also acknowledged that he knew he could not lawfully purchase or possess a handgun because of a prior felony conviction for violating controlled substance laws.

Judge Ambrose scheduled sentencing for Jan. 4, 2022, at 10 a.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine not more than $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Ira M. Karoll prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

The Allegheny County Police Department conducted the investigation. This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.