Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
North Country Man Admits Role in False Statement Made During Gun Purchase
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jonathon P. Shappy, age 29, of Schuyler Falls, New York, pled guilty yesterday to aiding and abetting the making of a false statement during the purchase of a rifle.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian; Special Agent in Charge Ashan M. Benedict of the New York Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and New York State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II.
During his plea, Jonathon Shappy admitted that on March 6, 2016, after being denied the purchase of a Henry Repeating Arms .22 caliber rifle from a store in Plattsburgh, he called his uncle, Donald J. Shappy, Jr., and asked Donald to purchase the gun for him. On March 7, 2016, Donald Shappy purchased the firearm and in so doing falsely certified he was the true purchaser of the firearm.
Donald Shappy pled guilty on August 4, 2016 to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1, 2016.
As a result of his conviction, Jonathon Shappy faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release when he is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mae D’Agostino on March 13, 2017. 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 was investigated by the ATF and the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer.