Pittsburgh felon sentenced to more than 3 years in prison for unlawful possession of firearms (DOJ)

Pittsburgh Felon Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Unlawful Possession of Firearms

Friday, September 11, 2026

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For Immediate Release

U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Pennsylvania

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 37 months of imprisonment on his conviction of possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Aquay Mitchell, 26, on September 10, 2026.

According to information presented to the Court, on September 24, 2024, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police detectives observed and attempted to stop Mitchell, suspecting that he possessed a firearm. Mitchell fled and was ultimately located hiding in a stairwell, with officers also finding a firearm, keys, and a cell phone along Mitchell's flight path. The firearm was a loaded semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number that had been reported stolen, and the cellular telephone and keys belonged to Mitchell, who has multiple felony convictions. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Mitchell was indicted in connection with the incident and a warrant issued for his arrest.

On February 4, 2026, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police officers were conducting a proactive patrol of Pittsburgh's Knoxville neighborhood when they observed Mitchell at a convenience store and took Mitchell into custody on the federal arrest warrant. In a search incident to arrest, officers recovered from Mitchell's person a loaded semi-automatic pistol that also had been reported stolen, a knotted plastic baggie containing 11 grams of crack cocaine, a digital scale, and a cellular telephone.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Mitchell.

Updated September 11, 2026