Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Niagara Falls Man Charged with Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a one-count indictment charging Ralik Hamilton, 40, of Niagara Falls, NY, with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Catherin Baumgarten, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, on April 10, 2015, New York State Parole and other law enforcement officers conducted a search of the defendant’s residence on 4th Street in Niagara Falls. During the search, they recovered a 9 mm pistol and several rounds of ammunition. Having been previously been convicted of a felony, Hamilton is prohibited from legally possessing a firearm.
The defendant was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. A detention hearing is scheduled for June 26, 2015 at 2:00 p.m.
The indictment is the result of/culmination of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Delano A. Reid, New York Field Division, the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Chief Bryan DalPorto, and the New York State Division of Parole, under the direction of Acting Commissioner Anthony Annucci.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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