Former Rochester Man Pleads Guilty To Possession Of A Firearm & Ammunition
Wednesday, October 23, 2024, 7:15 A.M. ET. 1 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
PITTSBURGH, PA.- On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, James Gilmore, 35, formerly of Rochester, Pennsylvania, appeared in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Cathy Bissoon to one count of Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person.
Following entering his guilty plea, Judge Bissoon accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for February 11, 2025, at which time Gilmore faces up to 10 years in federal prison, a fine up to $250,000, or both. The actual term of imprisonment will be determined by a U.S. District Court Judge based on the seriousness of the offense and Gilmore’s prior criminal history.
According To U.S. Attorney Olshan
According to U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan, on June 9, 2021, law enforcement officers recognized Gilmore operating a motor vehicle in New Brighton, Pennsylvania, and attempted to conduct a motor vehicle stop of Gilmore due to an active arrest warrant for a parole violation.
Gilmore failed to stop and fled Police Officers, tossing a loaded firearm out the vehicle’s window he was driving. Gilmore subsequently abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. Police Officers recovered a gray sweatshirt from a yard where Gilmore ran; subsequent forensic testing on the sweatshirt and firearm revealed Gilmore’s DNA.
At the time Gilmore possessed the firearm, he had been previously convicted of multiple felonies, including a firearm and drug trafficking crime in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Federal law prohibits a person previously convicted of a felony to possess a firearm and ammunition.
The New Brighton Area Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to Gilmore’s successful prosecution.
