Austin Suarez, Gun Store Burglary, New York 2020
A 26-year-old Hudson man has been sentenced to 100 months in prison for his role in a brazen gun store burglary in Columbia County. Austin Suarez, 26, of Hudson, New York, was sentenced to 100 months in prison for aiding and abetting the theft of firearms from Zero Tolerance Manufacturing, a federally licensed firearms dealer in Ghent, New York.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
On February 18, 2020, Suarez and co-conspirator Duane Thompson agreed that Thompson would break into and steal firearms from Zero Tolerance Manufacturing. Suarez aided Thompson in obtaining a pry bar and two-way radios to use during the burglary. That evening, Suarez drove and dropped off Thompson outside the store, knowing that Thompson would break into the store, steal firearms, and return to Suarez's car with the stolen firearms.
Thompson did in fact break into the store and stole five (5) AR-style rifles from within the store, and returned to Suarez's vehicle, at which point they left the area with the stolen firearms. The stolen rifles were recovered in the course of the investigation.
Suarez pled guilty on January 11, 2021, as part of his plea, Suarez admitted to his role in the burglary. He was sentenced to 100 months in prison, a 3-year term of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $624.
Thompson, 26, pled guilty in October 2020 to stealing the firearms from the gun store. He was sentenced in March to 24 months in prison.
The case was investigated by ATF, the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, and the Greene County Sheriff's Office, with assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and New York State Police, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O'Hanlon.
Austin Suarez, the defendant, is a 26-year-old man from Hudson, New York. His exact criminal charges include aiding and abetting the theft of firearms from Zero Tolerance Manufacturing. The crime occurred on February 18, 2020. Suarez was sentenced to 100 months in prison, a 3-year term of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $624.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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