West Mifflin felon sentenced for having semiautomatic rifle, revolver while on supervised release

WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. — A man from West Mifflin was sentenced in federal court for convictions of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon while on federal supervised release.

Roderick Ferguson, 22, was sentenced to three years in prison.

Ferguson was a passenger in a fatal crash in Baldwin on April 3, 2022. He was pulled from the car by bystanders while the driver was ejected and killed.

Officers at the scene found a semiautomatic rifle loaded with 29 rounds of ammunition while Ferguson had in his possession before the crash, the Department of Justice said.

>> 1 person killed, 1 injured in car accident in Baldwin Borough

Later that month, Ferguson was a rear passenger in a car that was pulled over in Whitehall for an expired registration. He provided officers with a fake name, the Department of Justice said.

After being told to get out of the car, Ferguson began moving around in the seat and adjusting his body. He consented to a search of his person, where officers found a loaded .357 Magnum revolver in his underwear.

During both instances, Ferguson was serving a federal supervised released following a drug-related conviction. 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, the Department of Justice said.

United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV 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.

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