PITTSBURGH - A resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on charges of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The two-count indictment named Stanley James Patterson a/k/a Robert Cook, 63, of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, Patterson possessed firearms and/or ammunition on or about Dec. 16, 2015, after having been convicted of multiple crimes punishable by more than one year in prison. Those cases include one robbery conviction and two burglary convictions. The indictment further charges that on Dec. 16, 2015, Patterson possessed body armor despite his status as a convicted violent felon.
Defendants who have three prior convictions for violent felonies or serious drug offenses face a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison, under the federal Armed Career Criminal Act. 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 Ross E. Lenhardt 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 with valuable assistance from the Allegheny County Police Department, the Carnegie Police Department and the Allegheny County Fire Marshal. This case is being prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a collaborative effort by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and communities to prevent, deter and prosecute gun crime.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
