SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Alex R. Mahoney Wilks, age 22, of Troy, New York, pled guilty today to illegally possessing a stolen pistol as a convicted felon, as well to possessing fentanyl-laced pills with the intent to distribute them.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his plea, Mahoney Wilks admitted that on February 4, 2022, as he attempted to leave a residence in Watervliet, New York, he knowingly possessed in his vehicle a stolen pistol and a quantity of fentanyl-laced pills that he intended to sell. Cash totaling $11,333 and two digital scales were also recovered from the vehicle. A prior felony burglary conviction prevented Mahoney Wilks from legally possessing the firearm in New York.
Mahoney Wilks faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on October 27, 2022, by United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes.
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 FBI and the Watervliet Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.