Pittsburgh Felon Charged with Illegally Possessing a Firearm and Ammunition

PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal firearm laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

The one-count Indictment named Isaiah Khalil Wise, age 21, formerly of the City’s East Hills neighborhood, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, on or about December 4, 2021, Wise possessed a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. It is prohibited under federal law for a convicted felon to be in possession of a firearm and/or ammunition.

The law provides for a term of imprisonment not more than ten (10) years, a fine not to exceed $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 Brian W. Castello is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Office of the Attorney General – Criminal Law Division and the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.

This case is 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.