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 that Victorious Minter, age 36, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on January 5, 2022, Minter possessed a loaded Glock 22 .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, after having previously been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison.  

The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Scranton Police Department, and the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office.  Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Gallagher and Assistant United States Attorney James Buchanan are prosecuting the case.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is ten years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.  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.

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

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