Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

ROCHESTER, N.Y.-- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Miguel Calixto, 28, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, was sentenced to 10 years in prison by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Noto, who handled the case, stated that on July 2, 2013, Rochester Police officers observed the defendant in possession of a 380 caliber Smith and Wesson semiautomatic pistol. Calixto was previously convicted of a felony weapons offense, and was therefore prohibited from legally possessing a firearm under federal law.

The defendant used the pistol on June 8, 2013 on Wadsworth Street in Rochester to shoot another individual four times, resulting in the victim’s permanent paralysis from the waist down. In conjunction with his plea in federal court, Calixto was convicted of Assault in the First Degree in Monroe County Court.

The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Delano A. Reid and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Ciminelli.