SCRANTON — A Wilkes-Barre man arrested by Wilkes-Barre City police, who investigated a shooting in March, was indicted by a federal grand jury on a firearm offense.
Joseph Angelo Valderrama, 38, of South Welles Street, was indicted on a single count of a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, according to U.S. Attorney Brian D. Miller.
The indictment alleges Valderrama possessed an AR-15 style pistol and rounds of ammunition, knowing he had previously been convicted of a felony offense that prohibited him from possessing a firearm.
City police detectives searched Valderrama’s apartment while Valderrama was at the Luzerne County Courthouse on March 22. Valderrama arrived at his apartment and encountered detectives who were investigating a shooting in front of the apartment building the night before, according to court records.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and Wilkes-Barre City police investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting.