Former Blairsville Felon Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a Pistol and Ammunition

PITTSBURGH- A former resident of Blairsville, Pennsylvania, has pleaded guilty and been sentenced in federal court to 18 months’ imprisonment and one year of supervised release on his conviction of felony possession of a firearm and ammunition, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Justin McConnell, 37, currently incarcerated at Indiana County Jail.

According to information presented to the Court, McConnell, who had previously been convicted of incest, on or about March 30, 2007, at Docket Number 33-2007, in the Court of Common Pleas, Indiana County, unlawfully possessed a firearm on Oct. 2, 2019. The firearm, a GSG pistol, and ammunition were seized from McConnell’s residence after being located by agents with the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole during a search of McConnell’s residence. Due to his prior felony conviction, McConnell is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

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

United States Attorney Chung commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of McConnell.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.