Salvatore Faliero, Gun Charge, New York 2016

Buffalo, N.Y. – In a shocking turn of events, Salvatore Faliero, 53, of Franklinville, New York, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The conviction marks a devastating blow to Faliero, who was already on federal supervised release following a 2009 conviction of accessory after the fact.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Adler and Thomas S. Duszkiewiz, who handled the case, New York State Troopers began investigating a complaint on November 29, 2015, that Faliero was shooting a firearm from his vehicle.

“One witness stated that Faliero admitted to him that he had shot a gun,” said the prosecutors. “Another witness stated that on December 1, 2015, he saw the defendant put a gun into his vehicle.”

The investigation led to the discovery of a loaded Marlin, Model 336W, 30-30 caliber lever action rifle on the back seat of Faliero’s vehicle, along with ammunition found on the center console. Faliero subsequently admitted to using the rifle.

This is not Faliero’s first run-in with the law. In September 1985, he was convicted in state court of Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. In October 1998, Faliero was convicted in Cattaraugus County Court of Attempted Burglary, followed by his 2009 federal conviction. As a result, Faliero is prohibited from legally possessing a firearm.

The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Steven Nigrelli and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ashan M. Benedict.

Faliero’s 12-month sentence will be served concurrently with an additional 15 months in prison for violating his supervised release. This brings the total sentence to 27 months in prison.

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