Rian Patterson, Firearms Burglary, New York 2019

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – In a shocking turn of events, two former Fort Drum soldiers have pled guilty to felony charges in connection with the burglaries of federally licensed firearms dealers in September 2019.

Rian Patterson, age 23, and Devin Diggs, age 20, admitted to stealing firearms during the burglary of a licensed federal firearms dealer in Gouvernuer, New York, on September 14, 2019, and to the burglary of a second licensed federal firearms dealer in De Kalb Junction, New York, on September 29, 2019.

As part of their guilty pleas, both men also admitted to knowingly possessing stolen firearms taken during those burglaries in their barracks at Fort Drum, in Le Ray, N.Y. Patterson also admitted that he knowingly possessed a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

Patterson and Diggs each face up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release, when they are sentenced by Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy on June 16, 2020.

The case was investigated by the ATF, the U.S Army Criminal Investigation Division (ARMY CID), the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, and the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Sutcliffe.

This case is brought pursuant to Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the U.S. government’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.

Patterson and Diggs have already been discharged from the United States Army. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of gun violence and the importance of community vigilance in preventing such crimes.

The defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court based on the particular statute they are charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndny/pr/former-fort-drum-soldiers-plead-guilty-burglarizing-north-country-firearms-dealers