PHILADELPHIA, PA – A Philadelphia man has been sentenced to the maximum term of 10 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, prosecutors announced.
U.S. Attorney David Metcalf said that 40-year-old Jeffrey Hernandez received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone, who also imposed three years of supervised release.
Hernandez pleaded guilty in August to one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a felon.
Investigators said Hernandez was found with a 9mm semiautomatic pistol loaded with 30 live rounds, despite being legally barred from owning a gun.
Authorities say firearm was linked to planned retaliation shooting
According to court documents, FBI agents and Philadelphia police located Hernandez after receiving information that he and three other men were en route to carry out a retaliatory shooting for an earlier attack.
The firearm was recovered during that investigation, leading to the federal charge.
Prosecutors said Hernandez’s criminal history made him ineligible to possess any firearms under federal law.
Officials credited the joint work of the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department for preventing a potential act of violence through the timely arrest.