Burlington E. Nieuenkirk, Possession of Loaded Firearms, New York 2020

GREEN ISLAND, NY – Burlington E. Nieuenkirk, 46, of Brooklyn, is facing a decade behind bars after admitting to illegally packing heat in Green Island back in 2020. The feds say Nieuenkirk, already a convicted felon thanks to a prior robbery, was found with not one, but three loaded pistols on April 30th. One of those weapons, authorities confirmed, had been reported stolen.

The bust was the result of a joint operation between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Albany County Sheriff’s Office. Special Agent in Charge John B. DeVito of the ATF’s New York Field Division, and Albany County Sheriff Craig D. Apple Sr. jointly announced the guilty plea, highlighting the ongoing efforts to keep illegal firearms off the streets.

According to court documents, Nieuenkirk knowingly possessed the loaded firearms at a residence in Green Island. His prior felony conviction should have been a clear signal that he wasn’t authorized to own any guns in New York State. Yet, there he was, allegedly with a trio of handguns, one of which didn’t even belong to him.

U.S. Attorney Carla B. Freedman’s office is prosecuting the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon leading the charge. The feds aren’t messing around; Nieuenkirk now faces up to 10 years in the slammer, a potential $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release after he serves his time. Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. will hand down the sentence on December 11, 2023.

This case isn’t an isolated incident. It’s part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” (PSN), a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing violent crime. The program focuses on targeting the most dangerous offenders and partnering with local programs to address the root causes of violence. The goal? Lasting reductions in crime, one illegal firearm at a time.

The Albany County District Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation. For Nieuenkirk, the game is over. He traded freedom for firearms, and now he’ll be counting the days until December 11th, hoping for a lenient judge – but with a felony record and stolen gun in the mix, that seems unlikely.

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