BUFFALO, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Walter S. Duprey a/k/a Spoons a/k/a Waldo, 36, of Jamestown, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of ammunition. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan A. Tokash, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on April 30, 2020, the defendant and two other individuals were pulled over in a vehicle by Jamestown Police Officers. During the traffic stop, it was determined that the license plates on the vehicle actually belonged to another vehicle. In addition, officers observed three hypodermic needles in the driver side door panel in plain view. After stepping out of the vehicle at the request of officers, Duprey was patted down for weapons. Officers retrieved a green leafy substance from the defendant’s pocket, along with a 12 gauge shotshell. A search of the vehicle recovered a 12 gauge shotgun, ammunition, several digital scales, a red ski mask, a quantity of heroin, several cell phones, two laptop computers, an I-Pad, a bag containing flashlights, a paintball mask, and black duct tape. As a result, officers believed that the defendant and the two other individuals either had conducted an armed home invasion or were about to conduct an armed home invasion.
Duprey was convicted in 2005, 2006, and 2012 of felony charges in Dunkirk City Court, and as a result is legally prohibited from possessing ammunition.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief Timothy Jackson, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia.
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.