Luzerne County Man Convicted Of Being A Felon In Possession Of A Stolen Firearm

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that James Raymond Alberto, age 36, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was convicted on May 7, 2025, of being a felon in possession of a firearm and being in possession of a stolen firearm following a three-day jury trial before Senior United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani.

According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on August 12, 2021, Alberto was found asleep behind the wheel of a running vehicle stopped at a stop sign, with his foot on the brake, and a line of cars stopped behind him. Law enforcement searched the vehicle, and ultimately discovered a stolen firearm in the glove compartment.

During the trial, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney's Office presented the testimony of multiple law enforcement witnesses, as well as expert witnesses in the fields of forensic chemistry, serology, DNA science, and criminal drug investigation.

The case was investigated by the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF), the Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department ("WBPD"), and the Pennsylvania State Police ("PSP"). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah R. Lloyd and James M. Buchanan.

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.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. 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.

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