Pittsburgh Man Admits Lying of Firearms Purchase Form

PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of falsifying information on a form to purchase firearms, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.

John Iatesta, age 41, of Pittsburgh PA, pleaded guilty to a one-count indictment before United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Iatesta provided false statements on a form to purchase three firearms. Specifically, he stated that he was purchasing the firearms for himself when, in fact, he was purchasing the firearms for another individual; he also falsely stated that he was not an unlawful user of a controlled substance.

Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for February 1, 2018. The law provides for a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorneys Rachael L. Dizard and Heidi M. Grogan are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of John Iatesta.