Erie Man Charged with Illegally Possessing a Firearm while the Subject of an Active PFA

ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

The one-count indictment named Jonathan Dominic Mull, 19, as the sole defendant.

According to the indictment presented to the court, on December 4, 2018, Mull possessed a firearm which he was precluded from possessing because of an active protection from abuse order.

This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is 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.

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.

The United States Marshals Service conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm and Explosives.

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