Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Leron T. Ross, 25, of Syracuse, New York pled guilty today to burglarizing a federally licensed gun dealer in Nedrow, New York, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Delano Reid.

As part of his guilty plea today, Ross admitted that he used a sledgehammer to break through the door of Intimidator Sports, also known as E.C.K. Tree and Outdoor Equipment in Nedrow, New York, in the early morning hours of November 20, 2014. Upon gaining entry to the store, Leron Ross and another man used bolt cutters to sever a steel cable securing pistols in a display case, stealing nine (9) handguns and departing before Onondaga County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to an alarm tripped by the break-in.

On January 5, 2015, Syracuse Police encountered Leron Ross for failing to stop at a stop sign. As Syracuse Police Officers approached his car, Ross sped off. During a short pursuit, Leron Ross threw a .45 caliber Glock Pistol from his car that was stolen in the E.C.K. burglary.  It was later recovered by police. On March 12, 2015, Ross pled guilty in Onondaga County Court to Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, and was sentenced to thirty (30) months in state prison.

During an interview in state prison in January 2016, Ross admitted to an ATF Special Agent and Onondaga County Sheriff’s Detectives that he had committed the burglary of the gun dealer, stealing nine (9) handguns. According to ATF and the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Department, four (4) of the stolen firearms have been recovered by law enforcement agencies to date.  

Sentencing for Leron Ross is scheduled for October 19, 2016 in Syracuse, New York. The charge to which Ross pled guilty to today carries a maximum sentence of up to ten (10) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000 and term of supervised release of three (3) years, as well as restitution for the stolen firearms. 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.

A second defendant, Andrew Grady, of Syracuse, is charged by complaint. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Southwick and Emmet O’Hanlon.

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