Pittsburgh Felon Tyron Harrison Cuffed for Gun Possession

23-year-old Pittsburgh resident Tyron Harrison is headed to federal prison after being caught with a loaded .9 mm Ruger pistol in his hoodie pocket during a routine traffic stop in Zone 6. The January 21, 2016 incident ended with immediate arrest and now, a 15-month federal sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon.

Harrison, an Allegheny County native, has prior convictions that sealed his fate the moment officers spotted the firearm. On or about May 7, 2012, he was convicted in Court of Common Pleas on two felony counts: receiving stolen property and carrying a firearm without a license—both punishable by more than one year behind bars.

That criminal history turned a simple traffic stop into a federal case. Once a felon, always a felon when it comes to guns. The law is unforgiving—and Harrison ran straight into it. Possession of any firearm by a previously convicted felon is a federal offense, no questions asked.

The gun, fully loaded and concealed in Harrison’s clothing, was discovered by Pittsburgh Police officers during the stop. No shots were fired. No threats made. But the moment the weapon was pulled from his pocket, Harrison’s freedom was already slipping away.

Prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tonya Sulia Goodman, the case was built on hard evidence and public safety law. Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song didn’t mince words: “Putting guns back in the hands of violent felons endangers every neighborhood they enter.”

Both the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police were credited by Song for their relentless investigation. For Harrison, the sentence is 15 months. For the streets, it’s one less armed felon—at least for now.