Tyree Sommerville, Gun Charge, New York 2020

Rochester man arrested and charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

A 24-year-old man from Buffalo, Tyree Sommerville, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

According to authorities, Sommerville was involved in a traffic stop on December 6, 2020, where he refused to stop and continued driving before turning into a lot on Stockbridge Avenue. Three individuals exited the vehicle, including Sommerville, who jumped out and fled from officers on foot.

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

The defendant was ordered detained this morning following a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr.

The investigation was conducted 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.

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