Johnstown Felon Indicted in Project Safe Neighborhoods Case

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

The one-count Second Superseding Indictment, returned on March 10, named Sean Zachary Horton, age 30, as the sole defendant.

According to the Second Superseding Indictment, on June 7, 2018, Horton was in possession of a firearm and ammunition while knowingly having been previously convicted of felonies. Federal law prohibits anyone who has been convicted of a felony from owning a firearm.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of ten 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 Douglas C. Maloney is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the Second Superseding Indictment in this case.

The case is being prosecuted as 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.

A Second Superseding Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.