Albany Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearm

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Zachary Green, age 36, of Albany, pled guilty today to illegally possessing a loaded shotgun as a felon.

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

As part of his plea, Green admitted that on September 28, 2021, he knowingly possessed a loaded shotgun in his vehicle and on his person while driving and walking on South Pearl Street in the city of Albany.  A prior felony conviction for criminal possession of a weapon prevented Green from legally possessing the firearm in New York. 

Green 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 May 26, 2022, by Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby. 

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 ATF and the Albany Police Department.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet 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.