From the Office of the District Attorney of Indiana County
District Attorney Bob Manzi announced this afternoon that defendant Michael C. Markel, 29, of Indiana, was found guilty of Possession of a Firearm without a License by a jury of Indiana County residents on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. After the close of testimony, the jury deliberated for several hours before finding Markel guilty.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was represented by First Assistant District Attorney Dennis Clark.
On December 19, 2020, members of the Pennsylvania State Police were dispatched to a report of a domestic disturbance involving firearms after receiving a 911 call from the defendant’s girlfriend. The victim stated that there was an argument between the two that escalated into violence when the defendant fired one of his two guns outside of the residence. When the victim called 911, the defendant fled the scene in an attempt to avoid the police.
Members of the Pennsylvania State Police were able to secure the crime scene and locate the defendant. Markel was attempting to hide himself and his firearms from the police. Due to the professional response of the Troopers involved, Markel was taken into custody without incident. At trial, questions of whether the victim and defendant were still estranged arose as the victim changed her testimony in an attempt to help the defendant’s case.
“We all appreciate the work our law enforcement does to protect us but I believe it is tough to truly grasp the dangers they face. In this case, State Troopers responded at 11:00 pm to a hostile situation with firearms. The defendant tried hiding himself and two guns from the police after already showing his willingness to use them,” said District Attorney Manzi. “Ultimately, Troopers were able to secure the scene without incident. We cannot thank the members of our Law Enforcement community enough for their work in keeping us safe.”
The defendant will be sentenced before the Honorable Thomas M. Bianco on August 19, 2022.
