The defendant, Baseal Shuler, pled guilty to Persons Not to Possess Firearms, Carrying a Firearm Without a License, and Receiving Stolen Property in connection with an incident where he was found to be in possession of a stolen handgun. He received a negotiated sentence of 4 ½ to 12 years in state prison.
The facts of the case are as follows: Police responded to a domestic incident in the first block of Howard Ave. at 4:25 AM on 1/10/14, and found Shuler in the backseat of a minivan loudly ordering the driver to drive away. Police removed Shuler from the vehicle and found a loaded semiautomatic .38-caliber pistol in the seatback pocket immediately in front of where Shuler was sitting. The gun had been reported stolen out of Chester County in July of 2013. Shuler was legally precluded from possessing a firearm due to prior convictions for Robbery and Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance. At the plea, Shuler admitted being possession of the firearm and knowing that it was likely stolen.
Officer Chris McCormick of the Lancaster City Bureau of Police was the affiant in this case.