Pittsburgh Resident Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Firearms Violations

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to a term of imprisonment of four years on his conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a machinegun, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Andrew Rocco, 22.

According to information presented to the Court, Rocco's residence was searched on February 2, 2024, and police found three firearms, along with magazines and ammunition. One of the firearms was equipped with a mechanism - frequently referred to as a "switch" or auto-sear - that renders it capable of fully automatic firing. That is, one of the firearms was a machinegun. All three pistols were outfitted with loaded, extended magazines.

This is not Mr. Rocco's first conviction for unlawfully possessing firearms. Less than two years prior to the execution of the search warrant in this case, the defendant was arrested in 2022 with a stolen firearm on his person after attempting to flee from police. His conduct in this case violates the probation to which he was sentenced for possessing the stolen firearm. Moreover, a year before his 2022 arrest, the defendant was adjudicated delinquent in another illegal firearm possession case. The instant matter is, therefore, the third time Mr. Rocco has been convicted or adjudicated delinquent for a gun-related crime.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Horan indicated that the type of weapons involved in this case, as well as the defendant's repetitive unlawful firearm possession, present a concern for the safety of the public.

Assistant United States Attorney Barbara K. Doolittle prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Andrew Rocco.

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.