SCRANTON - The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that two brothers from Bronx, New York, Elijah Javier Rodriguez, age 26, and Javier Justin Rodriguez, age 29, were indicted by a grand jury on November 5, 2024, on charges of possession of firearms by prohibited persons.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that both Elijah and Javier Rodriguez did knowingly possess firearms as a prohibited person who had been convicted of a felony offense, on June 29, 2024, in Monroe County, Pennsylvania.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 15 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. 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.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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