Springdale police say homeless man found with illegal gun was wanted in Westmoreland County

A homeless man who failed to show up for his trial in October on charges of terroristic threats and harassment was accused by Springdale police of illegally carrying a loaded gun after he was stopped while walking along railroad tracks.

Kevin Michael Sifers, 45, whose last known address was in Harrison, was charged Tuesday with felony counts of illegal possession of a firearm and carrying a firearm without a license, along with defiant trespass.

He was being detained in the Allegheny County Jail in lieu of a $20,000 cash bond to await a preliminary hearing scheduled for Sept. 25 before District Judge David Sosovicka.

Chief Derek Dayoub detained Sifers, who was wanted on multiple arrest warrants in Westmoreland County, after spotting him about 10 a.m. on the railroad tracks behind Sam’s Truck & Car Service in the 100 block of Butler Street, according to a criminal complaint.

Police said Sifers told them he had a gun in the backpack he was carrying. A .45-caliber revolver with a round loaded in the chamber was confiscated by police, the complaint said.

When police did a background check on Sifers, they learned he did not have a permit to carry the gun, which also had no record of a sale or ownership, according to investigators.

Police said Sifers admitted to having been convicted of felony burglary in another state, which makes him ineligible to buy or possess a gun.

Sifers also can’t have a gun because he has an active protection from abuse order against him from a case in Westmoreland County.

Court records show that Sifers was scheduled to appear in October for a formal arraignment in Westmoreland County Court on charges of making terroristic threats and harassment, which were filed in June 2022 by North Belle Vernon police, according to court records.

The docket shows that warrants for Sifers’ arrest were issued after he didn’t attend the hearing.