Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

PHILADELPHIA –United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Steven Mack, 31, of Philadelphia, PA was convicted today at trial of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, arising from an incident during which state parole agents caught Mack with the firearm and ammunition shortly after he was released from prison.

Mack was paroled after serving the low end of a state sentence for robbing multiple women at gunpoint and stealing their possessions. On September 9, 2019, while he was under the supervision of the Pennsylvania Parole Board, agents visited Mack at his residence and observed five different types of ammunition and a loaded revolver. The agents arrested Mack on the spot.

“The crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm is a very serious offense – particularly in a city like Philadelphia, where gun violence is running rampant,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Mack has repeatedly demonstrated his disrespect for the law and the conditions for his parole. The answer to Philadelphia’s violent crime crisis is to get recidivists like Mack off of the streets and have them serve an appropriate sentence, which is exactly what will happen now that he has been convicted in the federal system in which there is no opportunity for parole.”

“The outcome of this prosecution is sending a positive message to the community on ATF’s commitment to keeping the public safe from firearms violence,” said John Schmidt, acting Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “ATF is determined to continue our collaborative efforts with our law enforcement partners in our plight to ensure Philadelphia neighborhoods can be free of violence.”

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the Pennsylvania Parole Board, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara A. Solow and Derek E. Hines.

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