Pittsburgh Man Charged with Escape from Federal Custody

PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of escaping federal custody, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

The one-count Indictment named Stephen Gaza, aged 40, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, Gaza escaped from federal custody on October 6, 2020: after being granted a furlough to report to Renewal, Inc. in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Gaza failed to report.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than five years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000.00, a term of supervised release of not more than three years, or a combination thereof. 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 Jonathan D. Lusty is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The United States Marshals Service 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.