A McKees Rocks resident has been sentenced to 17-and-a-half years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and violating his federal supervised release. The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti.
Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Ernest Lee Terry, aged 46, on June 4, 2025. According to court information, Terry opened fire on another individual in broad daylight on May 12, 2024, in McKees Rocks. Evidence and surveillance video showed that Terry fired at least seven rounds at a fleeing vehicle. When arrested two days later, he had the same firearm used during the incident tucked into his waistband. At the time of this offense, Terry was under federal supervised release for a previous firearms conviction.
Acting U.S. Attorney Rivetti commented on the case: “After a 15-year federal prison sentence for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and while still serving a term of supervised release for that conviction, defendant Terry pulled a gun and fired at least seven rounds at a fleeing individual.” He added that upon arrest two days later, "Terry had the same gun tucked into his waistband." Rivetti praised the Allegheny County Police Department for their work in apprehending Terry and emphasized their commitment to prosecuting violent offenders.
Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division stated: “ATF’s highest priority is reducing violent gun crime, and keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous career criminals like Ernest Terry is a key means to protect public safety.” He highlighted collaboration with local, state, and federal partners in prosecuting such criminals.
Before sentencing Terry, Judge Hornak described his conduct as “exceptionally serious” due to his significant criminal history. He characterized Terry's actions during the shooting as "calculated" and noted that they posed "a high risk of serious harm or death to other people."
Assistant United States Attorney Douglas C. Maloney prosecuted this case for the government. Acting U.S. Attorney Rivetti acknowledged contributions from several law enforcement agencies including Allegheny County Police Department, McKees Rocks Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in leading to this successful prosecution.
