Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Albany Felon Arrested for Possessing Firearms
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Roderick Jones, age 41, of Albany, was ordered detained today on a federal complaint charging him with two separate instances of unlawful possession of firearms.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon; John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Chief Eric Hawkins of the Albany Police Department.
The complaint alleges that on January 17, 2019, Jones possessed a loaded .380 caliber handgun in his vehicle when he was arrested on impaired driving charges. The complaint further alleges that on September 29, 2019, Jones possessed a 9mm pistol that he discharged four times at an occupied residence. On both occasions, Jones was a felon who was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Jones was arrested on the complaint on Wednesday, and appeared for a detention hearing today in Albany before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart. Following a detention hearing, Jones was ordered detained pending trial.
The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Jones was previously convicted of unlawful possession of the .380 pistol in Albany County Court, but that conviction was overturned in July 2020, by the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division’s Third Department. The court ruled that the search of Jones’s vehicle, leading to the recovery of the .380 pistol, was not a valid inventory search. At time of his arrest on the federal complaint, Jones was facing charges in Albany County Court related to the possession and discharge of the 9mm pistol in September 2019. Those charges will be dismissed by the Albany County District Attorney’s Office in light of the federal complaint.
The charges filed against Jones carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a maximum 3-year term of supervised release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the Albany Police Department and ATF. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.