SCRANTON -The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Gregory Dehart, age 32, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday to 18 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 2 years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for firearms offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Dehart previously entered a plea of guilty to conspiring to make false statements during the purchase of 29 firearms. From Dec. 22, 2019, to Jan. 11, 2021, Dehart conspired with two other individuals to lie to employees at three Lackawanna County federally licensed firearms dealers, J & G Sport Center in Throop, Roll Call, LLC, in Scranton, PA, and Dick’s Sporting Goods in Dickson City, PA, as well as Piestrak’s Gun Shop, located in Luzerne County, in order to purchase a total of 29 firearms. Dehart was not the actual buyer of any of the firearms and he and his co-defendant purchased the firearms on behalf of others. Following the purchase of the firearms, Dehart would then transport the firearms to the actual buyers, who paid Dehart for the price of the firearms and a fee to making the purchases on their behalf. Of the 29 purchased firearms, three have been recovered in connection to criminal offenses in Baltimore, Maryland, and New York City.
Dehart was indicted with the following codefendants:
* Samantha Piasecki, was sentenced on June 8, 2022, to time served (137 days) to be followed by one-year supervised release for making false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms, aid and abet; and,
* Mitchell Bethea, pleaded guilty on May 20, 2022, to making false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms, aid and abet and is awaiting sentencing.
The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, the Pennsylvania State Police, Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office, the Scranton Police Department, and the Newport Township Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney James Buchanan and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Gallagher prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
