Luzerne County Man Charged with Firearm Offenses

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Justis Shea, age 31, of Glen Lyon, PA, was indicted by a federal grand jury for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for possession of that firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that from on or about May 1, 2024, to on or about July 2, 2024, Shea possessed a Smith & Wesson M&P 15 rifle in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, after having previously been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison. The indictment further alleges that Shea possessed that firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Kingston Police Department, the Ashley Police Department, and the Luzerne County District Attorney's Office. Assistant United States Attorney James Buchanan is prosecuting the case.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, 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.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is life imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. 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.

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