Pittsburgh Felon Charged with Illegal Possession of Crack Cocaine and Firearms

 PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating the federal narcotics and firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.

The five-count superseding indictment named Michael Champion, age 44, as the sole defendant.

According to the Superseding Indictment, on April 14, 2017 and August 15, 2017, Champion possessed with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine base, commonly known as crack cocaine. Additionally, on April 14, 2017, Champion was in possession of numerous firearms, including an unregistered sawed-off shotgun, in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime. Champion is a convicted felon and prohibited by federal law from possessing any firearms.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the criminal history of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Christopher M. Cook is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police – Narcotics and Vice Division conducted the investigation leading to the Superseding Indictment in this case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

A superseding indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.