Rensselaer Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearm

ALBANY, NEW YORK - Andrew Williams, age 38, of Rensselaer, New York, pled guilty today to illegally possessing a rifle as a previously convicted felon.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.

Williams admitted that on May 2, 2023, he possessed the rifle and 15 other firearms, as well as ammunition, at his residence in Rensselaer. A prior felony conviction for burglary in the third degree prevented Williams from legally possessing the firearms and ammunition.

Williams will be sentenced on September 4, 2024, by United States District Judge Mae A. D'Agostino. Williams faces up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant's sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

This case was investigated by ATF and the East Greenbush Police Department, with the assistance of the Rensselaer County District Attorney's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emmet O'Hanlon and Mikayla Espinosa are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice's violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.