Prior Felon Pleads Guilty To Gun And Drug Charges

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

ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Joseph Weathers, III, 29, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie Kocher, who is handling the case, stated that in February 2013 and June 2014, Weathers was convicted in Monroe County Court of weapons and robbery charges and as a result is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition. In the early morning hours of July 17, 2021, while responding to a call of shots fired in the area of 9 Lime Street, Rochester Police Officers observed drugs and drug paraphernalia and encountered Weathers at the top of the stairs of the residence. After securing the location, officers executed a search warrant and recovered a 9mm pistol, a loaded magazine, and loose ammunition. The firearm was reported stolen in September 2020 from Gates, NY. In addition, officers also recovered approximately 10.6 grams of fentanyl, 4.2 grams of cocaine, 55.6 grams of crack cocaine, and approximately $537 in United States currency. 

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Interim Chief David Smith and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division.

The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as part of its Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 15, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. before Judge Geraci.

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