PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of violating federal firearms laws and drug possession, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The two-count Indictment named Kalief Jamil Malik Rethage, 39, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, from Sept. 25, 2018, to Dec. 10, 2018, Rethage was unlawfully in possession of a semi-automatic pistol, a spent cartridge, and various ammunition. Rethage is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition because he is a convicted felon. The Indictment further alleges that on Dec. 10, 2018, Rethage was in possession of marijuana.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 11 years in prison, a fine of not more than $500,000.00, a term of supervised release not more than 3 years, or a combination thereof. 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 Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case with valuable assistance from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
