SMETHPORT — Marily Woodford McMahon of Kane was convicted following a two-day jury trial at the McKean County Courthouse on firearm violations and charges of stolen property. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 7.
McMahon and her son, Paul McMahon, were charged with crimes related to firearms, stolen property and drug violations in the summer of 2022.
Following jury deliberations, Marily McMahon was convicted of possession of a firearm with obliterated serial number (second-degree felony); three counts of receiving stolen property, firearms (second-degree felonies); three counts of receiving stolen property, crossbows (first-degree misdemeanors); two counts of possessing an offensive weapon, two sawed-off shotguns (first-degree misdemeanors); and possession of drug paraphernalia (first-degree misdemeanor).
She was found not guilty on charges of possessing brass knuckles, possession of drug paraphernalia and a controlled substance, and possession with intent to deliver.
Paul McMahon is currently serving a sentence of 124 months to 254 months plus one year of consecutive supervision for his role in the case as well as three other cases involving drug delivery resulting in death, aggravated harassment by prisoner and simple assault by physical menace.
According to District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer, troopers with the Pennsylvania State Police-Lewis Run barracks received information during two separate investigations that stolen firearms and controlled substances would be located at the defendant’s residence on Haines Street in Kane.
“It was a simple traffic stop made while troopers were enforcing the vehicle code that led to the discovery of a firearm in a vehicle of a felon which commenced a larger investigation that led to (Marily) McMahon’s bedroom,” Shaffer said. “That traffic stop ultimately led to the seizure of a significant number of stolen items — firearms, other weapons and controlled substances. I appreciate that the troopers followed the investigation to conclusion and that they prevented these weapons from getting in the hands of dangerous people. I am also reminded of the dangers they face in each traffic stop such as the one here where a felon had a firearm.”
On July 19, 2022, troopers involved in a traffic stop located a firearm in a vehicle of a person who was prohibited from possessing it. In the other case, troopers investigating a burglary were assisted by a Kane Borough Police officer in which firearms and crossbows had been stolen and were believed to be at the McMahon residence. A search warrant was issued July 27, 2022.
According to the criminal complaint, state police executed the warrant at the Haines Street residence. McMahon was at the residence when police arrived, and her son showed up shortly thereafter; both were detained, police said.
During the search of the residence, drugs, paraphernalia, illegal firearms, stolen crossbows and firearms were seized, the complaint stated. Also seized was a safe containing multiple bundles of glassine bags containing suspected fentanyl, a 28-gram bag of marijuana, a scale, multiple pills inside a prescription bottle with the label peeled off, multiple marijuana smoking pipes, multiple Suboxone strip containers and a handwritten list of all the drugs and what prices they sold for, the complaint stated. Also in the safe were three sets of brass knuckles.
Inside the home, police found two sawed-off shotguns, one with a barrel length of 14 inches and the other with a barrel length of 17 inches, the complaint stated.
Inside Marily McMahon’s bedroom police found three crossbows, a 12-gauge shotgun, a .308-caliber rifle, a single-shot .22-caliber rifle and an SCCY 9mm Model CPX-2TTRD handgun, all of which had been reported stolen through the Kane Borough Police Department, the complaint stated.
Also during the bedroom search, multiple small bags of marijuana for personal use were located, along with paraphernalia.
During an interview by police, McMahon said all the marijuana located in the room was hers, the complaint stated.
Troopers testified over the course of two days to what they located in McMahon’s bedroom and closet. The troopers described several firearms stacked together and leaning against McMahon’s nightstand under a child’s blanket or towel and several others stacked under her bed as well as two sawed-off shotguns and crossbows in plain view atop a dresser. Three firearms and three crossbows taken during the burglary at the Kane residence were among the items located.
The felony case involving the firearm in the initial traffic stop as well as the case involving the person responsible for the burglary of the Kane residence have also been prosecuted, Shaffer said.
