A Wilkinsburg man with a prior felony record has entered a guilty plea to federal charges of firearms possession and attempting to obstruct the seizure of those firearms, U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan confirmed. Javon Pope, 36, appeared in court before U.S. District Judge Marilyn J. Horan to answer for his crimes.
According to court proceedings, Pope was apprehended by FBI agents on November 19, 2019, at a residence already under surveillance following another individual's arrest. A search incident to the arrest yielded a digital scale, marijuana, and a cell phone from Pope. A subsequent search of the residence, under warrant, revealed four firearms that were earlier seen but had been moved, with one rifle partially disassembled.
An examination of Pope's cell phone unearthed a search regarding the time required to obtain a search warrant on the day of the incident, as well as calls exchanged between Pope and the residence's occupant after the initial arrest. Photographs of Pope with the firearms were also found on the device. Due to Pope's criminal history of two felonies, federal law restricts his right to bear arms or ammunition.
Pope's sentencing is scheduled for March 26, 2025. He faces up to 15 years of imprisonment, a fine reaching $500,000, or both. However, the federal Sentencing Guidelines will influence the sentence based on the offenses' severity and Pope's criminal history. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan T. Conway leads the prosecution.
The investigation culminating in Pope's prosecution was a joint effort by the FBI, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, which targets drug traffickers, gangs, and criminal organizations that menace the country through a collaborative approach among varied federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
For more details regarding the case, visit the U.S. Attorney's Office press release.
