PITTSBURGH – PA — A resident of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Katrae Smith, age 19, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on June 16, 2021, the Wilkinsburg Police Department responded to a 911 call of multiple males exiting two vehicles while wearing all black clothing and facemasks. Upon the arrival of law enforcement, all males fled on foot. Law enforcement detained one of the fleeing males and identified him as the defendant, Katrae Smith. A loaded Glock model 19x, 9mm caliber pistol, was found near the defendant at the time of his arrest. A trace of the firearm revealed that his co-defendant, Deyanira Araujo, purchased that that firearm six days prior.
A search of the defendant incident to his arrest revealed that he had a cellular phone. The phone contained multiple text messages between the defendant and the co-defendant from April 2021 to June 2021 in which they discussed the purchase of firearms.
Consistent with the texts between the conspirators, the ATF confirmed that Araujo purchased two firearms on June 10, 2021 from Keystone Shooting Center LLC, a federally licensed firearms dealer. The ATF also obtained surveillance footage of the June 10, 2021 firearm purchases. The surveillance footage shows Araujo arrive with Smith in his mother’s vehicle, Aruajo approach the gun counter with Smith and another male, Aruajo speak with the males, and Araujo purchase pistols. In addition to the texts and surveillance footage, the defendant’s phone contained multiple videos of Smith either near or personally holding pistols. One video shows Smith and a passenger in a vehicle each holding a pistol while Smith says, “we got two of them now.” This video was taken on June 10, 2021, the same day Araujo purchased two pistols.
Judge Colville scheduled sentencing for April 21, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court remanded the defendant into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wilkinsburg Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Katrae Smith.
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