Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

ALBANY, N.Y. — Matthew Shaver, 23, of Schenectady, pled guilty today to illegally possessing a loaded shotgun as a felon.

U.S. Attorney Carla B. Freedman, John B. DeVito; Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.

Shaver admitted that on Dec. 15, 2022, he knowingly possessed a loaded shotgun at his residence in Schenectady, N.Y. On that date, federal investigators recovered the shotgun while executing a search warrant on the residence. A prior felony conviction for assault in the first degree prevented Shaver from legally possessing the firearm in New York. Shaver was arrested following the search and has remained in custody since then.

Shaver faces up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on May 29, 2024, by United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. 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.

ATF and HSI investigated this case with assistance provided by the Rotterdam Police Department, the Schenectady Police Department, and the Schenectady County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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 and 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.

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