Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

ALBANY, N.Y. — Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, age 28, of Schenectady, was charged today with a second firearms crime arising from his firing of a shotgun into the air outside of Temple Israel on Dec. 7.

The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Carla B. Freedman; John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins.

Alkhader remains charged with possessing a firearm as a prohibited person, and today was additionally charged with conspiracy to make a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.

According to an amended criminal complaint, at approximately 2 p.m. on Dec. 7, Alkhader stood outside of Temple Israel while possessing a Kel-Tec KS7 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. Alkhader twice fired the shotgun into the air. Albany Police Officers responded to the scene and arrested Alkhader.

As an unlawful user of a controlled substance (marijuana), Alkhader was prohibited under federal law from possessing the shotgun.

Additionally, Alkhader, believing he was potentially ineligible to purchase a firearm due to a prior order of protection or restraining order, obtained the shotgun about a month ago by giving a friend money to purchase it for him. On Nov. 5, the friend purchased the shotgun for $599.99 at a licensed firearms dealer in Albany County and then gave it to Alkhader. The friend lied on an ATF Form 4473 when he checked the box “Yes” in response to a question asking him, in sum and substance, if he was buying the firearm for himself and warning him that it was federal crime to buy a firearm, from a licensed firearms dealer, for another person.

The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

If convicted of the charges alleged in the complaint, Alkhader faces up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of post-imprisonment supervised release and a maximum fine of $250,000. 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 ATF, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Albany Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Belliss and Alexander Wentworth-Ping are prosecuting this case.

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