BUFFALO, N.Y.-Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Giovanni Salmonson, 26, of Olean, NY, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin, and being a felon in possession of a firearm before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $2,000,000 or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Astorga, who is handling the case, stated that on Jan. 1, 2015, Olean Police responded to a trespassing complaint near the 200 block of North 1st Street. Upon arrival, an officer defendant near 225 North 1st Street and asked Salmonson to step out of the roadway and up onto the curb. The defendant took off running. While he was running away, the officer noticed that Salmonson was wearing a black Nike backpack/drawstring bag. A foot chase ensued and the defendant entered a backyard at 121 North 2nd Street after throwing the black Nike bag over a fence into another yard. An officer ordered Salmonson to the ground, and the defendant complied. After retrieving the bag, officers recovered a.22 caliber revolver from inside. Subsequently, officers also recovered 14 bags of heroin, six suboxone pills and $851 dollars in United States currency.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Olean Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jeff Rowley; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan Benedict, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 11, 2017, before Judge Arcara.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
