Pittsburgh Resident Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Firearm Laws

PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on charges of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

On July 8, 2021 and on April 27, 2022, Gerald Harrison, age 23, intentionally made false statements in connection with the purchase of firearms in order to deceive the federally licensed firearms dealers into believing that Mr. Harrison was purchasing these firearms for himself when, in fact, Mr. Harrison was purchasing these firearms for other persons.

The law provides for a term of imprisonment of not more than (10) ten years, a fine of $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, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. 

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.