Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Greece Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Nicholas Coia, 31, of Greece, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to being felon in possession of a firearm. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie Kocher, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant admitted to possessing a shotgun and ammunition on March 28, 2018, in the area of 11 St. Pierre Drive in the Town of Greece. Coia was prohibited from legally possessing the shotgun and ammunition because of a prior felony conviction for Driving While Intoxicated.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Patrick D. Phelan, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division.
The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as part of its Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community an d develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 2, 2019, at 9:15 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.
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