BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Justin Vazquez, 29, of Lackawanna, NY, with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward H. White, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, on Jan. 29, 2015, Buffalo Police officers responded to a domestic incident call at 209 Madison in Buffalo, NY. Vazquez was at the residence of his mother and was threatening to shoot her and two others, including a child, with a loaded firearm in his possession.
Officers apprehended Vazquez in the kitchen. The mother told police that Vazquez’s gun was located in the back bedroom. A search recovered a loaded Smith & Wesson AR-15 rifle. The defendant was previously convicted on a state charge of Aggravated Criminal Contempt and therefore is not allowed to legally possess a firearm.
The defendant will be arraigned on Sept. 3, 2015 before the U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, under the direction of Delano A. Reid, Special Agent in Charge.
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.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
