Buffalo Man Indicted On Gun Charge

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051 

BUFFALO, N.Y.—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Antonio Eldridge, 27, of Buffalo, NY, with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan T. Cullinane, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, on March 11, 2016, the Buffalo Police Department received information that the defendant, a convicted felon, had displayed a firearm to children. During this investigation, officers located Eldridge hiding in a basement crawl space of the children’s residence. Officers recovered a Winchester Model 69A .22 caliber rifle hidden under a mattress in this residence. The defendant had previously been issued an order of protection to keep away from both the children and the residence. As a convicted felon, Eldridge is prohibited from legally possessing a firearm.

The indictment is the culmination of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Delano A. Reid, New York Field Division.

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.