Johnstown Felon Charged with Having a Firearm and Ammunition in Violation of Federal Law

PITTSBURGH, PA - One resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

The one-count Superseding Indictment named Sean Zachary Horton, age 29, of 301 Washington St., Johnstown, PA, as the sole defendant.

According to the Superseding Indictment, on June 7, 2018, Horton was in possession of a firearm and ammunition while having been previously convicted of felonies.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of 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.

Special Assistant United States Attorney Chad R. Parks is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the Superseding Indictment in this case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods (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.

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