Pittsburgh felon Reginald Milligan, 28, is headed to federal prison after being caught with a stolen, loaded 9mm pistol and 10 bags of heroin laced with fentanyl in his car during a predawn stop on January 19, 2019. The arrest exposed a pattern of repeat criminal behavior that ended in a 37-month sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
Milligan, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, had no legal right to possess a firearm due to three prior felony convictions in state court between 2013 and 2015. Those convictions included possession with intent to deliver heroin, carrying a firearm without a license, and person not to possess a firearm—offenses that placed him squarely in the crosshairs of federal sentencing enhancements.
Judge Bissoon not only imposed the 37-month prison term but also ordered three years of supervised release following Milligan’s eventual release. Federal prosecutors argued that Milligan’s repeated violations of gun laws posed a direct threat to public safety in Pittsburgh’s already strained neighborhoods.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted the case on behalf of the federal government, emphasizing that Milligan’s possession of a stolen firearm—loaded and ready—combined with narcotics, escalated the danger to the community. The 9mm was confirmed to be stolen during the investigation, adding another layer to the federal charge.
The takedown was the result of coordinated work by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The agencies worked in tandem under the framework of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Justice Department’s signature initiative targeting violent offenders with robust enforcement and community-based prevention.
Project Safe Neighborhoods prioritizes dismantling cycles of violence by focusing on the most dangerous repeat offenders. Milligan’s case exemplifies the program’s enforcement edge—using federal muscle to lock up felons who continue to arm themselves and deal deadly drugs. His conviction sends a message: in Pittsburgh’s streets, second chances end when guns and fentanyl return.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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