February 3, 2015

New York Man Charged with Federal Firearms Crime

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that an indictment was returned by a grand jury charging a New York man with being a felon in possession of a firearm/ammunition and possession of a controlled substance.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the indictment alleges that Tyrone Greene, aged 41, of New York City, was arrested on November 20, 2014, by the Hanover Township Police for possession of a loaded, .40 caliber, Beretta handgun and a plastic bag containing marijuana. At the time of his arrest Greene had a prior felony conviction making it illegal for him to possess a firearm. Greene faces up to 11 years in prison and fines of up to $500,000.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hanover Township Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter Hobart. The maximum penalty under federal law for being a felon in possession of a firearm is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. The maximum penalty for possessing marijuana is up to one year of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.