ALBANY, NEW YORK -Emmanuel Philippe, age 23, a citizen of Haiti residing in Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today to 87 months in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon, and possessing and intending to distribute crack cocaine.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Special Agent in Charge Ashan M. Benedict of the New York Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Saratoga Springs Police Chief Gregory Veitch.
Philippe is a lawful permanent resident of the United States and citizen of Haiti. After he completes his term of imprisonment, he will be placed into immigration proceedings.
Philippe was convicted following a 4-day trial in July and August 2018, presided over by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino.
Evidence presented during the trial established that on March 17, 2017, at about 3 a.m., Philippe was the subject of a routine traffic stop, for speeding, on West Avenue near the YMCA in Saratoga Springs, New York. Philippe gave Officers a fake name and a fake Massachusetts driver’s license, and said he was on his way to a hotel in Schenectady, New York.
A Saratoga Springs Police Officer detected the smell of marijuana, and Philippe admitted to having marijuana in his car. Officers ordered Philippe and his passenger out of the car so they could search it. During the search, Philippe and his passenger stood on the side of the road in the presence of Officers.
Philippe became visibly nervous as an Officer searched the trunk, and attempted on several occasions to approach the trunk, falsely claiming that his jacket was inside. Officers asked him to back away from the trunk.
While searching the trunk, an Officer found a plastic bag containing a loaded rifle magazine and rounds of.223 caliber ammunition. As the Officer called her Sergeant over to see what she had found, Philippe took off running, through a snow-covered field, in the direction of the YMCA. Officers quickly and safely arrested Philippe in the YMCA parking lot, and found him in possession of 35 baggies containing crack cocaine.
In the trunk, Officers located a Windham Weaponry semi-automatic rifle, loaded with a 30-round magazine and with its safety turned off; another loaded, 30-round magazine; a total of 165 rounds of Federal.223 caliber ammunition; and 22 rounds of Federal 9 millimeter ammunition. In Philippe’s possession and in the car, Officers also located $1,610 in cash, 2 digital scales, and drug packaging materials.
At the time of the crimes, Philippe had a prior felony conviction for attempted grand larceny, from Saratoga County Court.
This case was investigated by the ATF and Saratoga Springs Police Department, with the assistance of the Saratoga County District Attorney’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
