PHILADELPHIA – A deadly shooting incident in Bethel, Pennsylvania, has led to a guilty plea from Harshpreet Singh, a 25-year-old Indian national who is illegally in the United States. Singh pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States, a crime that carries a maximum possible term of 15 years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
The incident occurred on August 28, 2024, at approximately 1:17 a.m., when Pennsylvania State Police troopers and Bethel Township Police Department officers responded to a report of a shooting incident relating to a home invasion. Just minutes later, they received a call for a gunshot victim at a gas station less than half a mile away from the residence. Officers found A.S., a co-defendant, inside of a vehicle at the gas pumps with a gunshot wound to the torso. The defendant, Harshpreet Singh, and another co-defendant were also in the vehicle.
After the victim was transported to the hospital for treatment, police officers canvassed the area around the gas station and discovered two firearms in a gravel lot across the street. The firearms included a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 12 live rounds of ammunition, and a privately manufactured firearm bearing no serial number, loaded with 17 live rounds of 9mm ammunition. Another firearm, a Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 13 live rounds of ammunition, was located in the yard of the residence that had reported the home invasion.
Forensic testing on the three guns subsequently found a DNA profile consistent with a mixture of four contributors, with Harshpreet Singh included as a potential contributor to this mixture profile. The investigation was a joint effort between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Pennsylvania State Police, and the Bethel Township (Berks County) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rosalynda M. Michetti.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the government to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Singh is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9 and faces a maximum possible term of 15 years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. The plea is a significant development in the ongoing efforts to combat violent crime and protect the community from those who would seek to harm it.
The investigation and prosecution of this case are a prime example of the government’s commitment to keeping our communities safe and holding accountable those who would seek to harm them. The guilty plea is a significant step forward in this effort, and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that justice is served.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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