James Gilmore, a 35-year-old former Rochester resident, pled guilty to federal firearms charges after being apprehended during a failed flight from law enforcement, the U.S. Attorney's Office disclosed yesterday. According to U.S. Attorney's Office, Gilmore was caught throwing a loaded weapon from his vehicle before abandoning it and attempting an escape on foot on June 9, 2021, as police tried to stop him over an active arrest warrant for a parole violation in New Brighton, Pennsylvania.
In court, federal prosecutors laid out the trail of evidence leading to Gilmore's plea which included his DNA on both a gray sweatshirt found in a yard along his escape route and on the discarded firearm, as law enforcement officials engaged in pursuit Gilmore ditched his vehicle fled, and in the chaos, his identity as the possessor of the loaded gun and ammunition was irrefutably established through forensic tests. This violation comes in light of his history of felony convictions, including previous charges related to firearms and drug trafficking in Beaver County, making it illegal under federal law for him to possess firearms or ammunition.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon presided over the guilty plea and has set the sentencing for February 11, 2025, where Gilmore could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or both, with the actual sentence to reflect his criminal history and the seriousness of the offense.
