Sharon Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Grenade Detonating Fuses

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Sharon, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to violating federal explosives laws and has been sentenced to 12 months of imprisonment, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Paul Lyn Graves, 47.

Graves, a convicted felon, admitted to illegally possessing explosive materials. According to information presented to the Court, in January 2022, Graves began working at a manufacturer of military equipment despite his previous felony conviction. In April 2022, he was tasked with assembling the detonators on M213 grenade detonating fuses. These fuses contained Royal Demolition eXplosives, which are explosive materials under federal law.

On April 14, 2022, members of the Pennsylvania State Police executed a search warrant at Graves’ residence and recovered three M213 grenade detonating fuses that were between the detonator assembly step and the sealing step, the same assembly state that Graves was tasked with completing.

In imposing the sentence, Judge Bissoon referenced the inherently dangerous nature of the offense and Graves’ prior conviction.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark V. Gurzo prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

First Assistant United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Graves.