Braddock Hills man pleads guilty to possessing guns stolen from retired Pittsburgh cop

A Braddock Hills man pleaded guilty this week in federal court to having two pistols that were stolen from the car of a retired Pittsburgh police sergeant, according to prosecutors.

Frankie Leon Morrison, 55, was indicted in May 2019 and pleaded guilty Monday to charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and fugitive.

Authorities said a Buffalo Township police officer patrolling a Butler County residential area in April 2019 spotted a man rummaging through a vehicle at 3 a.m. The officer pulled over a car he suspected was involved and identified Morrison as the driver, according to court papers.

A search of his car later revealed two stolen pistols and ammunition.

An indictment states that Morrison’s criminal history dates back to 1987 and includes weapons violations and robbery charges in several states. He is wanted in Connecticut on a 1993 attempted theft charge, according to court papers.

Morrison remains in custody. Sentencing is set for June 7.

A previous attempt by Morrison’s attorney to suppress evidence was rejected by Senior U.S. District Judge David Stewart Cercone. The judge ruled that Buffalo Township police had “reasonable suspicion that criminal activity was afoot” when the officer pulled over the car Morrison was driving. A search of the car also was legal, the judge ruled.

In addition to the pistols, the officer found a set of handcuffs, a purse, a Michael Kors leather bag, a backpack, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle jacket and other items. Morrison initially was arrested by Buffalo Township police on numerous charges of theft and receiving stolen property. He is awaiting a pretrial motions hearing on the state charges, according to online court records.