SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Victor Santiago-Rivera, age 42, of Edwardsville, Pennsylvania, was indicted on January 17, 2017, by a federal grand jury on attempted robbery and firearms charges.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment alleges that on January 6, 2017, Santiago-Rivera attempted to rob Simon and Co. Jewelers located in Kingston, Pennsylvania, and illegally possessed a Glock 17 firearm. The indictment alleges that the defendant has been previously convicted of a crime that is punishable by imprisonment of at least one year, making it illegal for him to possess a firearm.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms along with the Kingston Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Partnership (“VCRP”), a district wide initiative to combat the spread of violent crime in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the VCRP consists of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies whose mission is to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit violent crimes with firearms.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the attempted robbery is 20 years’ imprisonment followed by three years supervised release and a fine. The firearms charge carries a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment followed by three years supervised release and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
# # #