A Pittsburgh man has been sentenced to nine and a half years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition, as well as violating the terms of his federal supervised release. The sentencing was announced by First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti.
Gerald Underwood, 44, received his sentence from United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan after being found guilty by a jury on June 10, 2025. Judge Horan ordered eight years in prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, plus an additional consecutive 18 months for violating federal supervised release.
Court records show that Underwood was found with a firearm and ammunition at a gas station in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood on November 9, 2022. At the time of the incident, he was already under federal supervision following an earlier conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Underwood has multiple state felony convictions and two prior federal convictions related to firearms offenses. Federal law bars individuals with felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Before delivering the sentence, Judge Horan remarked on Underwood’s record: “Underwood has a history of violent behavior and had not learned from the prior sentences,” she said. She added that her decision to impose a sentence above the advisory guidelines was based on “the need to protect the public from Underwood.”
Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney prosecuted the case.
First Assistant United States Attorney Rivetti acknowledged both the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for their work investigating this case.
