Two-Time Drug Felon Sentenced to 120 Months for Role in Gun Store Burglary

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Omar DeJesus, age 32, of Amsterdam, New York, was sentenced yesterday to 120 months in prison for transporting, storing, and possessing firearms stolen from Target Sports, Inc., a federally licensed firearms dealer in Schenectady County.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Senior United States District Judge Norman A. Mordue also sentenced DeJesus to 3 years of supervised release and ordered that he pay restitution in the amount of $48,775.

DeJesus, who has previous state and federal felony drug convictions, pled guilty on May 17, 2018.  As part of his plea, DeJesus admitted that he allowed Christian Roman and Jose Fontanez to store dozens of stolen firearms at his residence and later helped them hide some of those firearms in a remote location.  DeJesus also admitted that he introduced Roman and Fontanez to another man, Onic Martinez, who retrieved the stolen firearms from a storage locker in Schenectady, New York, where Roman and Fontanez hid them shortly after the October 22, 2017 burglary.  In exchange for his assistance, DeJesus received a stolen Sig Sauger 9mm pistol, which DeJesus subsequently sold to another individual in exchange for $700.  DeJesus was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his criminal record.

Fontanez, age 36, of Schenectady, pled guilty earlier this year to stealing the firearms from Target Sports, and other, related charges.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 22, 2019.

Roman, age 24, of Schenectady, pled guilty last month to stealing the firearms from Target Sports.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 10, 2019.

Dalmary Morales, age 37, of Schenectady; and Juan Saez, age 35, of Rochester, New York pled guilty earlier this year for their respective roles in stealing, transporting, and possessing the firearms.  Morales and Saez are scheduled to be sentenced on April 22, 2019.

This case was investigated by the ATF, New York State Police, and the Glenville and Amsterdam Police Departments, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne A. Myers.