Tyree Sommerville, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, New York 2020

A 24-year-old Buffalo man faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for his alleged involvement in a firearm-related crime.

On December 6, 2020, Tyree Sommerville, of Buffalo, refused to stop his vehicle when approached by Buffalo Police Officers conducting a routine traffic stop. The officers observed his vehicle fail to signal at the intersection of Dartmouth Avenue and Orleans Street.

After a foot chase, law enforcement apprehended Sommerville on Hewitt Avenue, where a semiautomatic pistol was recovered from his possession. In July 2014, Sommerville was convicted of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree in New York State Court, prohibiting him from possessing a firearm.

The defendant was ordered detained following a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Contact: Barbara Burns, (716) 843-5817, (716) 551-3051.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdny/pr/rochester-man-arrested-gun-charge-after-attempting-flee-police