Albany Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a Firearm

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Dewey K. Sims, age 32, of Albany, pled guilty today to illegally possessing a .25 caliber pistol as a felon.

The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

As part of his plea, Sims admitted that on March 7, 2020, he possessed a loaded .25 caliber pistol on his person when he was pulled over for a speeding violation in the Town of Colonie.  A prior felony conviction for armed robbery prevented Sims from legally possessing the firearm in New York. 

Sims faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on November 30, 2021 by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. 

A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

This case was investigated by the ATF and the Colonie Police Department.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet J. O’Hanlon.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is 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.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.