Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Troy Felon Sentenced to 18 Months for Firearm Possession
ALBANY, NEW YORK – William J. Richardson, age 41, of Troy, New York, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a felon and possessing an unregistered firearm.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Delano A. Reid, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) New York Field Division.
U.S. District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy also sentenced Richardson to 3 years of supervised release, to be served following Richardson’s release from prison.
On May 13, 2015, Richardson sold a sawed-off rifle, a Taurus Circuit Judge manufactured in Brazil, for $500 in a parking lot on Livingston Avenue in Albany. Richardson could not possess the firearm because he had a prior felony conviction. Additionally, the rifle as modified measured less than 26 inches, and it had not been registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required.
This case was investigated by the ATF, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
###