Wilkinsburg Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing and Attempting to Prevent Seizure of Firearms

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of being a felon in possession of firearms and attempting to take action to prevent seizure, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Javon Pope, 36, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on the morning of November 19, 2019, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) discovered Pope inside a Wilkinsburg residence at which another individual had just been arrested and officers had observed several firearms in plain view. The agents detained and searched Pope, finding a digital scale, a small amount of marijuana, and a cellular telephone. Upon the execution of a search warrant for the residence, agents found four firearms, but in different locations from where they had been initially observed by officers and with one of the rifles now disassembled.

A search warrant for Pope’s cellular telephone revealed an internet search for “how long does it take to get a search warrant” during the morning of November 19, as well as several telephone calls between Pope and a resident of the home that took place shortly after the first defendant’s arrest, along with pictures of Pope with several of the firearms from the residence. Pope previously had been convicted of two felony offenses. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for March 26, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and United States Postal Inspection Service, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Pope.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.