NEW YORK, NY – JONATHAN BANYAN, 39, of Brooklyn, is facing up to 15 years in federal prison after being convicted yesterday of knowingly possessing ammunition after a prior felony conviction. The conviction stems from an incident on April 7, 2025, when BANYAN attempted to smuggle 18 rounds of ammunition into the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse.
According to court documents, BANYAN entered the courthouse carrying a backpack containing the ammunition – consisting of three different calibers. Alert court security officers spotted the bullets during routine screening. Instead of cooperating, BANYAN allegedly attempted to conceal the ammunition in his pocket, but was quickly apprehended.
“Everyone who enters a federal courthouse—judges and juries, lawyers and litigants, the press and the public—must know they are safe,” stated U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton. “This conviction sends a clear message: ammunition carried by a convicted felon should not be tolerated in our community, let alone in the court.” Clayton’s office presented evidence at a four-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, ultimately securing the guilty verdict.
The brazen attempt to introduce ammunition into a federal courthouse raises serious questions about security protocols and the lengths to which individuals will go to circumvent them. Sources within the U.S. Marshals Service, who led the investigation, indicate BANYAN has a prior felony conviction, making possession of ammunition illegal. Details of the original felony conviction have not been released.
BANYAN’s actions weren’t just illegal; they were a direct threat to the safety of everyone within the courthouse. The quick thinking of court security prevented a potentially dangerous situation from escalating. U.S. Attorney Clayton specifically praised the “outstanding investigative work” of the U.S. Marshals Service and the assistance of the court security officers involved in the arrest.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys James G. Mandilk, Ariana L. Bloom, and Nicholas S. Bradley, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Samantha Roberts, are prosecuting the case. BANYAN is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1, 2025. The maximum potential sentence of 15 years will be determined by Judge Rakoff, and is based on federal sentencing guidelines. Grimy Times will continue to follow this case as it moves towards sentencing.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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