A Pittsburgh man was recently sentenced in federal court for unlawful firearm possession.
According to the Department of Justice, a judge sentenced Aquay Mitchell, 26, to 37 months in prison on Thursday. Mitchell was convicted of possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon.
Prosecutors say this case stems from an encounter between Mitchell and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.
The first incident was in September 2024. Prosecutors say Pittsburgh officers tried to stop Mitchell because they thought he had a gun. He ran and was later found hiding in a stairwell. A gun found in his flight path was later identified as a semi-automatic pistol that had been reported stolen.
At the time, Mitchell already had multiple prior felony convictions, which prohibited him from possessing firearms or ammunition.
He was indicted in connection with the incident, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
In February 2026, officers on a proactive patrol in Knoxville saw Mitchell at a convenience store and took him into custody on the federal warrant. During a search after his arrest, officers found a semi-automatic pistol that had been reported stolen, a knotted plastic baggie containing 11 grams of crack cocaine, a digital scale and a cellular phone from Mitchell’s person.
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