One of the more serious violent crimes that an individual can be charged with is the crime of Possessing or transferring a firearm by a convicted felon. This crime can be found under Title 18 section 6105 of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code. The statute specifically states that a person who has been convicted of an offense enumerated in subsection (b), (the statute lists a litany of violent and non-violent offenses ranging from burglary to robbery) learn about violent crimes here within or without the state of Pennsylvania, regardless of the length of sentence, shall not possess, use, control, sell, transfer or manufacture or obtain a license to possess a firearm in the state of Pennsylvania
A person convicted of this charge of possession of a firearm by a felon who has either pled guilty or was found guilty of the crimes listed in 6105(b) or a felony under the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act, or any equivalent Federal statute commits a felony of the second degree. defenses to violent crimes A Felony of the second degree is an extraordinarily serious crime punishable by up to ten years in state prison. You should contact an experienced Chester County Criminal Lawyer if you have been charged with or are being investigated for the violent crime of possessing a firearm by a felon.
One final note under this statute is that a person who is the subject of an active protection from abuse order which ordered that the defendant could no longer possess a firearm commits a misdemeanor of the first degree if he intentionally fails to relinquish a firearm or ammunition to the sheriff. A conviction under this section of the statute is also very serious in that a conviction under this statute calls for a possible five year prison sentence.
