Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 36 months of imprisonment on his convictions for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and for committing that crime while serving a period of federal supervised release, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Roderick Ferguson, 22.

According to information presented to the Court, on April 3, 2022, the Baldwin Police Department responded to a vehicle crash where a driver was ejected and killed after striking a parked car. Bystanders pulled a passenger, Roderick Ferguson, from the damaged vehicle. Upon arrival, officers recovered a semiautomatic rifle loaded with 29 rounds of ammunition which had been in Ferguson’s possession prior to the crash.

Following Ferguson’s discharge from the hospital for his injuries from that crash, he was a rear passenger in a vehicle during an April 28, 2022, traffic stop conducted by the Whitehall Borough Police Department in relation to an expired registration. After providing a fictitious name and being instructed to exit the vehicle, Ferguson began moving around the seat and adjusting his body. Ferguson consented to a search of his person, with law enforcement then recovering a loaded .357 Magnum revolver from Ferguson’s underwear.

Prior to the time Ferguson possessed the loaded semiautomatic rifle and loaded revolver, he was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances in the Western District of Pennsylvania, for which Ferguson was sentenced by Judge Stickman to 15 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of federal supervised release. Ferguson was still serving his term of supervised release at the time he possessed the loaded firearms. Under federal law, convicted felons are prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, and those who commit crimes while serving federal supervised release are eligible for additional prison terms.

In imposing sentence, Judge Stickman emphasized that Ferguson’s possession of loaded firearms within days of his release from his last federal sentence reflected a troubling willingness to disrespect the law.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Baldwin Police Department, Whitehall Borough Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Ferguson.