Columbia County Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Unregistered Silencers

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Thomas E. Ozga, age 31, of East Nassau, New York, pled guilty on Monday to possessing 10 homemade, unregistered silencers. 

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

On May 3, 2019, law enforcement officers searched Ozga’s home in East Nassau, and found 10 homemade silencers. As part of his plea, Ozga admitted that the silencers were his, he knew they were intended to diminish the sound of portable firearms, and he did not register any of the silencers with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as is required under the law.

Ozga will be sentenced on July 2 by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino.  Ozga faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.  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 HSI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily C. Powers.