MAN TRADING GUN FOR DRUGS FEDERALLY SENTENCED

Thomas A. Marino, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced today that Michael Malone, age 23, of Marysville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Yvette Kane to terms of imprisonment for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Judge Kane sentenced Malone to a 57-month term of imprisonment and further ordered that he pay a fine of $900 and serve a two-year term of supervised release.

According to U.S. Attorney Marino, in 2003 numerous agencies began a cooperative investigation into the drug trafficking and firearms activities of a loosely organized Harrisburg street gang. Through this investigation Malone was identified to be trading firearms for heroin. Investigators later found that the defendant was stealing the firearms from his grandfather who had a federal firearms license.

Malone has a previous felony conviction and is prohibited from possessing a firearm and/or ammunition under federal law. This prosecution was a result of the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Dauphin County Drug Task Force; Harrisburg Police Vice Unit and the Attorney General’s BNI Unit and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric Pfisterer.

U.S. Attorney Marino thanked the individuals and agencies involved for their dedication to an extensive investigation.

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