Pittsburgh Felon Charged with Illegally Possessing a Rifle and Ammunition

PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, 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 Indictment named Cheron Shelton, age 33, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, on March 12, 2016, Shelton possessed a firearm and ammunition, namely a Colt Model M4, .22 caliber rifle, knowing that he had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by a term exceeding one year. Federal law prohibits any person who has been convicted of a felony from owning a firearm.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 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 Attorneys Douglas C. Maloney and Brendan T. Conway are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Allegheny County Police Department and the Wilkinsburg 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.

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.