SCRANTON — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle), published as received.
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani sentenced Angela Lucke, age 37, of Dunmore, Pennsylvania, to five years’ probation for unlawfully providing firearms to a convicted felon.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Lucke pleaded guilty on March 8, 2017, to a one count indictment charging her with giving firearms to convicted drug dealer Ariel Varsanyi of New York. Lucke had previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year probation in Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas for filing a false police report, claiming that the firearms were stolen. Lucke admitted that she purchased the guns for Varsanyi because he was barred as a felon from buying guns himself. As part of her sentence, Lucke must perform 50 hours of community service and refrain from any contact with Varsanyi, who is incarcerated in New York.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Dunmore Borough Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean A. Camoni.
This case was brought as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Partnership (“VCRP”), a district wide initiative to combat the spread of violent crime in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the VCRP consists of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies whose mission is to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit violent crimes with firearms.
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