Malvern Man Found Guilty Of Illegal Weapon Offenses

WEST CHESTER, PA —A Chester County jury convicted a 42-year-old Malvern man on charges of hiding his uncle’s weapon in a wooded area in Willistown Township.

Jonathan McIntyre was found guilty Friday of illegally possessing a firearm on May 31, following a dispute with family members over property damage.

McIntyre was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he has a lengthy criminal record consisting of robbery, thefts and drunken driving dating back to 1999.

McIntyre is in Chester County Prison awaiting sentencing.

He faces a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison under the state sentencing guidelines.

“This defendant took a family member’s gun without permission and left it unattended in the open woods, leaving a serious risk that an innocent person could have been harmed,” First Assistant District Attorney Michael Barry said.

“The law is unambiguous that people convicted of serious felony crimes forfeit their right to carry a firearm,” Barry continued. “Joseph McIntyre was well aware of this fact and nonetheless took possession of this dangerous weapon and acted recklessly with it.”

Barry thanked police and the defendant’s family member for a quick response.

According to prosecutors:

McIntyre got into an argument with his relatives on May 31, 2020 at their Willistown Township residence.

The defendant’s uncle then asked McIntyre to leave the premises and called police.

Subsequently, McIntyre’s uncle told police that his nephew admitted hiding his uncle’s .38-caliber handgun in a wooded area under leaves and tree bark.

Police then found the weapon without any harm to bystanders.

According to court records, McIntyre was sentenced on Feb.12, 2000 to five to 10 years in state prison after pleading guilty to robbery, aggravated assault and weapon offenses in Philadelphia.

In 2016, he was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 357 days to 23 months in Montgomery County Prison after pleading guilty to making terrorist threats and simple assault.