Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty To 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 Antonio Eldridge, 28, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Arcara to 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 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 further recovered a Winchester Model 69A .22 caliber rifle hidden under a mattress in this residence. As a convicted felon, the defendant is prohibited from legally possessing a firearm. 

The plea 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.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 2, 2016, at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.