Erie Man Convicted at Trial of Brokering the Illegal Transfer of Fully Automatic Machineguns, Including One with an Obliterated Serial Number

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - After deliberating for four hours, a federal jury on August 2, 2024, found Erie, Pennsylvania, resident Joseph Leonard Stratton-Kiehlmeier guilty of one count of aiding and abetting the transfer of unregistered fully automatic firearms, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Stratton-Kiehlmeier, 36, was tried before Senior United States District Judge David Stewart Cercone in Pittsburgh.

According to evidence presented during the four-day trial, in January 2020, law enforcement learned that Stratton-Kiehlmeier was offering to broker the sale and transfer of illegal, unregistered machineguns. Those firearms - a Yugo rifle with an obliterated serial number and a Tikkakoski submachine gun - were both operable and fully automatic. Pursuant to the National Firearms Act, machineguns must be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. In January 2020, a confidential source, acting under the direction and supervision of federal law enforcement, traveled with Stratton-Kiehlmeier to a barn in Erie County to receive the illegal weapons. During the meeting, which was recorded, the source paid $2,000 for the machineguns, which he turned over to law enforcement after the meeting.

"Joseph Stratton-Kiehlmeier brokered the unlawful sale and transfer of two fully automatic machineguns-weapons that are capable of unleashing devastating violence with a single pull of the trigger," said U.S. Attorney Olshan. "The defendant sought to fuel the dangerous black market in illicit firearms, indifferent to who was acquiring these unregistered weapons and what they might do with them. This conduct poses a grave danger to the citizens of Western Pennsylvania, and our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to take these illegal weapons off of our streets."

"High-powered weapons in the hands of criminals endangers our community and increases the risk for deadly violence," said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. "Public safety is a shared mission, and the FBI and our partners stand committed to protecting the lives of innocent citizens everywhere."

Assistant United States Attorneys Molly W. Anglin and Shaun E. Sweeney prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for December 2, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Erie Area Gang Law Enforcement (EAGLE) Safe Streets Task Force, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, and Erie Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Stratton-Kiehlmeier. A specialist from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also testified during the trial.

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 of Justice 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.