A federal judge in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, accepted the guilty plea of a local resident involved in a fatal shooting at an apartment complex. Desmond Dontae Lee, 46, also known as Desmond Donte Lee Belton, pleaded guilty to a charge of violating a federal firearms law on April 10, 2025.
The crime occurred on March 1, 2023, when Lee and his son were part of a group congregating outside an apartment in a McKeesport apartment complex. When the resident of the apartment confronted the group, one of the group members approached the resident and struck him with a closed fist. The resident then shot and killed the attacker. Lee entered an adjacent apartment, fired five rounds from a 9mm semi-automatic pistol into the original resident’s apartment, and fled the scene. His son shot back at the resident at the front of the apartment, killing him.
Lee was previously convicted on state drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Investigators with the Allegheny County Police Department Homicide Unit collected the shell casings fired from Lee’s gun. The firearm used by Lee was never recovered.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Allegheny County Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Lee.
This case is 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.
Judge Nora Barry Fischer scheduled Lee’s sentencing for July 15, 2025. Under federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both.
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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