HARRISBURG — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle), published as received.

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Gerard Gaffney, age 19, of Mount Ranier, Maryland, and David Marable, age 18, of Washington, D.C., were indicted on July 24, 2019, by a federal grand jury on robbery and firearms charges.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that on March 28, 2019, Gaffney, Marable and their coconspirators committed armed robbery of a Rite Aid pharmacy in Lower Paxton Township.  It is alleged that coconspirators demanded cash and controlled substances. The indictment also alleges that Gaffney and Marable possessed a Glock pistol during and in relation to his robbery.

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lower Paxton Police Department, and the Swatara Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio is prosecuting the case.

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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

 

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