Indiana County Felon Indicted on Gun Charge in Project Safe Neighborhoods Case

PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Blairsville, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal firearms law, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

The one-count Indictment named Justin McConnell, age 34, as the sole defendant.

According to Indictment, on October 2, 2019, while on probation for a prior felony conviction, McConnell’s parole officer found McConnell in possession of a 22 LR Caliber GSG pistol, with a loaded magazine containing ammunition. Due to his prior felony conviction, McConnell is not permitted to possess firearms or ammunition.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than ten (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 offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction 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 prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.