DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
Northern District of New York

For Immediate Release

Friday, October 13, 2017
Grant C. Jaquith
, United States Attorney
Contact: Richard Southwick

Albany Felon Sentenced for Possession of Semi-Automatic Rifle and Handgun

Jason Twiss Carried the Guns for Protection During an Attempted Drug Deal for Heroin in Kingston

ALBANY, NEW YORK - Jason Twiss, 29, of Albany, New York, was sentenced today to serve 80 months in prison for illegally possessing a loaded semi-automatic rifle and a loaded 9-milimeter handgun as a convicted felon, carrying firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and attempted possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.  Senior U.S. District Court Judge Thomas J. McAvoy also ordered that Twiss serve a three-year term of supervised release following his release from federal prison on the three felony counts.
 
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) New York Field Division.
 
As part of his November 22, 2016 guilty plea, Twiss admitted that on December 10, 2014, he drove to Kingston, New York, to purchase heroin for later distribution.  While in the Kingston Hospital parking lot, Twiss carried and displayed a loaded Ruger .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle with a 30-round magazine, and a loaded Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol, to guard against the theft of  funds he brought to purchase the narcotics. 
 
A prior felony conviction in Florida on narcotics-related charges prohibited Twiss from legally possessing a firearm in New York. 
 
This case was investigated by ATF and the Kingston Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.
 
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New York Field Division