Lance Green Gets 19 Years for Gun Crimes in PA

Lance Green, a 43-year-old from the Bronx, New York, is headed to federal prison for over 19 years after being caught brandishing a gun with a scratched-off serial number during a neighbor dispute in Kingston, Pennsylvania. On November 19, 2021, U.S. District Judge Robert D. Mariani handed down a 235-month sentence, followed by three years of supervised release, for the convicted felon’s illegal possession of a firearm.

The showdown turned criminal on October 5, 2017, when Green pulled the weapon during a confrontation with a neighbor. Prosecutors said the firearm’s serial number had been deliberately obliterated—a red flag for law enforcement and a federal aggravating factor. After a four-day trial in March 2021, a jury in the Middle District of Pennsylvania convicted Green on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a gun with an altered serial number.

Green wasn’t just a repeat offender—he was already on state parole for prior felony convictions when he flashed the weapon in Kingston. His criminal spiral deepened further on August 17, 2020, while he was out on federal pretrial release. That day, a Lackawanna County jury found him guilty of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He was later sentenced to 7½ to 15 years in state prison for that offense.

Judge Mariani made sure Green wouldn’t see freedom anytime soon. He ordered the 235-month federal sentence to run consecutively—not concurrently—with both the state drug sentence and the penalties for violating parole. The stacked penalties ensure Green will serve years beyond his state term before facing any chance of release.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Kingston Police Department led the investigation, untangling a case that exposed Green’s repeated brushes with the law. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case, emphasizing the danger posed by armed felons in communities already struggling with violent crime.

This prosecution was part of the federal Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, a coordinated strategy targeting violent offenders through joint federal, state, and local enforcement. PSN focuses on data-driven tactics and partnerships with reentry and prevention programs to create lasting public safety improvements. In Green’s case, it meant no second chances.

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