Steven Pennycooke, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Pennsylvania 2020
A Philadelphia felon has been found guilty of illegally possessing a firearm during the June 2020 civil unrest.
Steven Pennycooke, 36, of Philadelphia, PA, was convicted after trial of a single count of possession of a firearm by a felon, a charge stemming from a looting incident in West Philadelphia.
On June 2020, Philadelphia Police officers responded to a 911 call reporting two men pushing a looted ATM down a street. When the officers approached the block indicated in the call, they observed two men standing in the street less than a half a block away from a looted ATM loaded onto a cart.
The officers got closer to the suspects and observed the defendant throw something into a vehicle; one of the officers looked through the vehicle’s window and observed a firearm in the backseat.
Pennycooke, a previously convicted felon in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 2011, was prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm.
“The crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm is a serious offense, particularly in Philadelphia where gun violence has reached record-breaking proportions,” said U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alexandra Lastowski and Derek Hines.
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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