Justis Shea, a 32-year-old resident of Glen Lyon, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 130 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. The sentence was issued by United States District Judge Julia K. Munley after Shea pled guilty to one count of possession with intent to deliver controlled substances and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. The sentences will run concurrently.
Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus stated that Shea admitted to possessing fentanyl and synthetic cannabinoid (K2) with the intent to distribute them in a Luzerne County hotel room in June 2024. Shea also acknowledged that on or about July 2, 2024, he possessed a stolen Smith & Wesson M&P 15 rifle that had previously been shipped across state lines, knowing he had already been convicted of a felony.
The investigation involved several agencies: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Kingston Police Department, Wilkes-Barre Police Department, Pittston Police Department, Luzerne County Drug Task Force, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney James M. Buchanan led the prosecution.
This case marks the application of new criminal provisions from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act enacted in June 2022. This legislation is designed to address unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms at the federal level for the first time (https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/2938).
Additionally, this prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative uniting law enforcement agencies and communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence. In May 2021, the Department implemented a strategy focused on building community trust, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting targeted enforcement priorities, and evaluating outcomes (https://www.justice.gov/psn).
“This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted, and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.”
“This case is also 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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.”
