Clearfield County Man Sentenced For Violating Federal Firearms Laws

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of Irvona, Pa., has been sentenced in federal court to five years probation, the first 18 months of which must be served by conditions of home confinement, and 250 hours of community service on his conviction of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Justin D. McElheny, 36.

According to information presented to the court, from Dec. 2007 to Oct. 15, 2011, McElheny stole 72 firearms, including revolvers, pistols and rifles of various calibers, from East Coast Gun Sales. In addition, during the same time McElheny was in possession of the stolen firearms, he was an unlawful user of Percocet, Oxycontin, Roxicet and Vicodin.

Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr., prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Allegheny Township Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of McElheny.

According to Mr. Hickton, McElheny was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a collaborative effort by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and communities to prevent, deter, and prosecute gun crime.