Erie Felon Charged with Illegally Possessing Handgun

ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on a charge of violating federal firearm laws, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.

The one-count indictment named Ravone Robert Deberry, 24, as the sole defendant.

According to the indictment presented to the court, on September 10, 2016, Deberry possessed a Smith & Wesson, model SW9F, 9mm handgun while being a convicted felon.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Marshall J. Piccinini is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

This case 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.

The EAGLE task force, which is comprised of members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and the Erie Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

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