Harrisburg Man Charged Federally with Firearm Violation as Result of Drug Transaction Dispute

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District Pennsylvania announced that a federal grand jury in Harrisburg returned an indictment Wednesday charging Anderson Ortiz, age 34, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony.

According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, the charge resulted from a May 31, 2013 incident in Harrisburg in which weapons were fired during an alleged dispute over drugs.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Harrisburg Police Department as part of an on-going coordinated effort to combat drug violence in Harrisburg.

Prosecution is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Joseph J. Terz.

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.

In this case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is 10 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. 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.