Ohio Felon Indicted for Possession of and Attempt to Conceal Three Firearms in Checked Luggage at Airport

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Youngstown, Ohio, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on firearms charges, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

The two-count Indictment named Luis Rojas Cay, 26, as the sole defendant. Rojas Cay is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon and carrying a weapon on an aircraft.

According to the Indictment, on or about April 26, 2024, Rojas Cay was planning to travel to San Juan, Puerto Rico, from the Pittsburgh International Airport on a commercial airline. The Indictment further alleges that Rojas Cay’s luggage contained a loaded 9mm semiautomatic handgun, an unloaded 9mm semiautomatic handgun, an unloaded 40 SW caliber semiautomatic handgun, and approximately 204 rounds of 9mm ammunition concealed in packages wrapped in multiple layers of foil-backed tape and placed inside a metal briefcase that was also lined with sheet metal. The briefcase was found inside a suitcase that Rojas Cay checked with the airline. As a previously convicted felon, Rojas Cay is prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

“Luis Rojas Cay allegedly tried to travel on a commercial airline with multiple firearms—one of which was loaded—hidden in his luggage,” U.S. Attorney Olshan said. “As a convicted felon, Rojas Cay should not be in possession of firearms anywhere, let alone in his bag at 35,000 feet. This office and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to keeping unlawful firearms out of airports and off airplanes where they put ordinary, unsuspecting citizens at risk.”

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $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 of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Allegheny County Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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