PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Aaron Lyons, 26, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge David Cercone to a one-count Superseding Indictment charging him with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on Nov. 19, 2019, Pittsburgh Police conducted a traffic stop in the East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh of a vehicle in which Lyons was a traveling as a passenger. During the stop, officers conducted a pat down of Lyons for officer safety and felt a gun barrel in his jacket pocket. Following a scuffle resulting from Lyons’ failure to comply with officer instructions, a loaded.40 caliber Smith and Wesson pistol from recovered from Lyons. Lyons had been convicted of four offenses in three different cases between 2014 and 2018. Federal law prohibits anyone who has been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for April 6, 2021. For Lyons’ offense, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney David Lew is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reductions 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 prevent and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
