McKeesport Felon Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Prison for Possession and Use of Firearm While on Federal Supervised Release

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 76 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 46 months of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal firearms law, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Thomas Thornton, 49.

According to information presented to the Court, on December 19, 2024, Thornton discharged 10 rounds of ammunition from a stolen 9mm semi-automatic pistol into an occupied residence within the City of Pittsburgh. Officers with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police detained Thornton within minutes of the incident, and, following the execution of a search warrant on Thornton's vehicle, recovered the 9mm pistol Thornton used in the shooting. At the time of the offense, Thornton was on federal supervised release following a 37-month sentence in federal prison for a drug trafficking and firearms conviction. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.

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

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.