Pittsburgh Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearm Possession

PITTSBURGH — Darnell L. Thompson pleaded guilty May 12 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, the Department of Justice announced.

The plea covers Thompson's possession of a specific firearm and ammunition while prohibited under federal law. As a convicted felon, Thompson faced a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.

The case falls under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), which bars anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison from shipping, transporting, possessing or receiving any firearm or ammunition that has traveled in interstate commerce. Thompson admitted the weapon and rounds met the interstate-commerce element.

The guilty plea removes the need for a trial and locks in the factual basis for sentencing. Federal probation will prepare a presentence investigation report that calculates Thompson's guideline range under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which start at heightened base offense levels for prohibited possessors. The judge must impose a sentence within or explain any deviation from that range.

Downstream, the conviction activates federal firearms disabilities that will remain in effect for the rest of Thompson's life unless he obtains rare relief through a pardon or expungement. The ruling also requires Thompson to surrender any additional firearms or ammunition he controls and bars him from future purchases.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents who investigated the case will close this prosecution file and redirect resources to open matters.

This marks the latest felony firearms conviction secured by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania. The office has pursued similar cases under the same statute following recoveries during traffic stops, domestic-violence calls and probation sweeps.

The Department of Justice identified the case as part of its broader enforcement initiative targeting illegal gun possession by previously convicted individuals.

Primary sources: U.S. Department of Justice