Rome Man Pleads Guilty to Felon Ammo Possession

Alfred Laquan Thomas, 31, of Rome, New York, stood before a federal judge today and admitted he was caught with live ammunition just minutes after a violent shooting — a move that slammed him back into the crosshairs of the law. Thomas pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, a charge stemming from a late-night barrage of shotgun fire in Syracuse on August 16, 2012.

According to court records, Thomas was found carrying two 12-gauge Remington shotgun shells in his pants pocket when Syracuse Police intercepted him near the scene of a drive-by shooting. Officers responded to reports of multiple shotgun rounds being fired from a vehicle at an occupied home on West Bissell Street. Thomas was not initially charged in the shooting but became a target of the investigation after the discovery of the live rounds in his possession.

Under federal law, Thomas is barred from possessing any ammunition due to a prior conviction for Aggravated Burglary in Kansas in 2003. That felony conviction, over a decade old, became the cornerstone of the federal case against him. By holding those shells, he violated 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), a statute designed to keep weapons and ammo out of the hands of violent offenders.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory term of supervised release of up to three years. U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian made the announcement today, emphasizing that even indirect ties to gun violence are being prosecuted aggressively. “Felonies don’t expire,” Hartunian said. “The law is clear: once a violent felon, always barred from possessing ammunition.”

Thomas was ordered held without bail pending sentencing, scheduled for April 24, 2017, in Syracuse. With a criminal history and new evidence linking him to live rounds after a shooting, prosecutors are pushing for the maximum consequences under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. A federal judge will weigh the facts, but the message is clear — the justice system is watching.

The case was jointly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), and the Syracuse Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard R. Southwick is handling the prosecution, building a case that proves even a single shell in the wrong hands can ignite a federal firestorm.

RELATED: Convicted Ponzi Schemer Arrested in Florida After Failing to Show Up for Sentencing

RELATED: Orange County Man Pleads Guilty to Running Investment Scams That Raised More Than $17 Million Via False Promises of House Flipping Profits