Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Nyquest Robinson, 20, of Syracuse, pled guilty today to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Carla B. Freedman; John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Chief of Syracuse Police Joseph Cecile; and Onondaga County District Attorney William J. Fitzpatrick.

As part of his guilty plea today, Robinson admitted that he was arrested on May 17 in Syracuse when he attempted to flee on foot from New York State Parole Officers who were speaking with him near a store. Robinson was under parole supervision from a prior felony conviction for Assault in the Second Degree. Syracuse Police assisting Parole Officers prevented Robinson from escaping and located in his clothing a Glock, Model 27, .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun loaded with thirteen rounds of ammunition.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 18 in Syracuse, at which the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000,00 and a term of supervised release of up to three years. 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.

The case against Robinson was adopted for federal prosecution after a joint review by the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and ATF as part of gun violence reduction efforts in Onondaga County.

This case is being investigated by ATF and the Syracuse Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.

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