VENANGO CO., Pa. (EYT) – A Shippenville resident is facing felony charges for allegedly attempting to transfer ownership of a stolen gun.
Court documents indicate the Franklin-based State Police filed criminal charges against 31-year-old Stephanie Marie Lizza.
According to a criminal complaint, around 5:56 p.m. on November 10, two known victims reported that Stephanie Marie Lizza, who was previously convicted of stalking, had two guns – a Charles Daly .20 gauge and a .308 single-shot rifle – that belong to the victims after the guns were left behind when Lizza and Lizza’s former partner separated.
According to the complaint, the victims had communicated with Lizza on several occasions about getting the guns back, and Lizza had provided several conflicting accounts of the location of the guns. It is alleged that Lizza first reported that (the ex-partner) had sold the gun in 2016, but the (ex-partner) denied selling the gun and could not recall when she had last seen it. Lizza then said the guns were seized by a house arrest officer shortly after Lizza began a term of house arrest on the prior stalking charge. Lizza then said the guns were seized by Mercer County probation and may have been destroyed.
The victims then followed up with Mercer County probation and then were referred to Venango County probation, The victims were then informed there was no record of any firearms being seized from Lizza, the complaint states.
It was reported that the victims then received a text message from Lizza on November 10 saying Lizza would return the rifle in exchange for custody of Lizza and Lizza’s ex’s child. Lizza stated the intention to not be present at the drop-off location in Cranberry Township, Venango County, and said the victims would need to sign paperwork in order to obtain the rifle. Lizza said two known individuals would drop the child off and would have the rifle with them, according to the complaint.
Police then obtained and executed a search warrant for the location Lizza gave for the exchange on November 10. The .308 rifle was located in the rear of a white GMC Acadia operated by a known individual who Lizza had named in the previous message. Police also seized paperwork regarding the transfer of the gun between the involved parties, the complaint states.
Lizza was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Patrick E. Lowrey at 9:00 a.m. on December 1, on the following charges:
– Receiving Stolen Property, Felony 2
– Possession of a Firearm Prohibited, Felony 2
Lizza remains free on $10,000.00 unsecured bail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on December 9 in Venango County Central Court with Judge Lowrey presiding.
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