Pittsburgh Resident Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Firearms Laws

PITTSBURGH, PA – Raesean M. Wilson, age 21, a resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to two charges of violating federal firearm laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

According to information presented to the court, in March 2022, Wilson was convicted in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas of being a person not to possess firearms, a felony offense. On or about September 21, 2022, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police observed Wilson in possession of a 9mm semi-automatic pistol loaded with an extended magazine and 30 rounds of ammunition in the Northview Heights community in Pittsburgh’s Northside neighborhood. Under federal law, a convicted felon is prohibited from possessing ammunition. On January 3, 2023, a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh indicted Wilson for this incident and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

On or about January 26, 2023, after being indicted for the previous incident, Wilson was stopped by Pennsylvania State Troopers in downtown Pittsburgh for a moving traffic violation and found to be in possession of a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol loaded with an extended magazine and 23 rounds of ammunition. On February 28, 2023, a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh indicted Wilson for this second firearms offense.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 15 years in prison, a fine of not more than $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 Carl J. Spindler prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police; Pennsylvania State Police; and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation 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.