Hazleton Man Charged with Firearm Offenses

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Renan Tineo, age 22, of Hazleton, New Jersey, was indicted by a federal grand jury for firearm offenses.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Tineo with possessing a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order. The indictment further alleges that the firearm possessed by Tineo, a .38 caliber Charter Arms revolver, also had an obliterated serial number.

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

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.]

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 15 years' imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. 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.

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

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