City Of Tonawanda Man Sentenced On A 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 Christopher Simmance, 38, of City of Tonawanda, NY, who was convicted of possession of a firearm after having been committed to a mental institution, was sentenced to time served (19 months) and two years supervised release by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Alsup, who handled the matter, stated that on November 12, 2011, law enforcement officers responded to the defendant’s Tonawanda residence where they located a Remington shotgun. Simmance had previously received mental health treatment preventing him from legally possessing any firearms.

The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Delano A. Reid, New York Field Office, Department of Veteran’s Affairs, and the City of Tonawanda Police, under the direction of Chief William Strassburg.