PITTSBURGH - A former Allegheny County resident has been sentenced in federal court to 36 months of incarceration for violating his Supervised Release by committing new crimes, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
United States District Judge Fischer imposed the sentence yesterday on Santana Wygant, age 40, formerly from McKeesport, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, Wygant had previously been convicted of federal drug charges for selling crack cocaine near a playground in West Virginia, and served 87 months in federal prison. While he was on federal supervision after being released from incarceration, Wygant committed multiple violations that included raping his former girlfriend, assaulting that woman, assaulting his infant child, and entering the victim’s home without permission. Wygant also was also found to have absconded from a halfway house, tested positive for marijuana use, failed to report to his probation officer and failed to attend drug treatment.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Fischer reviewed and considered that Wygant began his criminal career with an armed robbery offense as a juvenile and amassed numerous subsequent adult convictions.
Judge Fischer imposed the maximum sentence allowable by law, 36 months of incarceration, after considering factors that included the seriousness of the offenses and the need to protect the public from future acts of Wygant. The Judge also ordered that, following his release, Wygant spend the first six months in a halfway house, and that the United States Probation Office supervise him for five more years. Wygant faces the possibility of additional periods of incarceration if he violates the Court’s order by having any contact with the rape victim or the infant daughter he assaulted.
Assistant United States Attorney Ross E. Lenhardt of the Violent Crime Section prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Song commended the United States Probation Office for their efforts in this matter.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
