Rensselaer Felon Cops to Illicit Firearm Possession

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

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.

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 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.

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.

As part of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts, this case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.

The PSN program focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.