Erie Felon Charged with Illegally Possessing a Firearm, Meth and Fentanyl

ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of violating federal firearms and drug laws, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.

The three-count Indictment named Thomas Keith Jones, 35, of Erie, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment presented to the court, on or about January 27, 2021, Jones possessed firearms while being a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possession a firearm or ammunition. In addition, Jones possessed with intent to distribute fifty grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.

The law provides for a maximum total of 70 years in prison, a fine of $6,250,000, 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 Paul S. Sellers is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Pennsylvania State Police Northwest Strike Force, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.

This case is 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.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.