A McKeesport, Pennsylvania resident has pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The plea was announced by First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti.
Thomas Thornton, 48, entered his guilty plea before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand on October 2, 2025. Thornton was charged with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
According to information presented in court, on December 19, 2024, Thornton fired ten rounds from a stolen 9mm semi-automatic pistol into an occupied residence in Pittsburgh. Officers from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police arrested him minutes after the shooting. A search warrant executed on Thornton’s vehicle led to the recovery of the pistol used in the incident. At the time, Thornton had prior convictions for federal drug trafficking and firearms offenses and was under federal supervised release. Federal law bars those with felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Judge Wiegand set sentencing for February 4, 2026. Thornton faces up to 15 years in prison and a possible $250,000 fine. The final sentence will depend on the seriousness of the offense and his criminal history under federal guidelines.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson is prosecuting the case. The investigation involved both the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The prosecution falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which coordinates efforts among law enforcement agencies and communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence nationwide. The Department of Justice launched an updated violent crime reduction strategy for PSN in May 2021 focused on building community trust, supporting prevention organizations, setting targeted enforcement priorities, and tracking results.
