ALBANY, NEW YORK – Leonard Samuels, age 39, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
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, Samuels admitted to possessing a loaded semi-automatic pistol, which FBI agents and Schenectady Police Department officers recovered in his apartment during a search warrant executed on April 8, 2021. Samuels also agreed to forfeit a loaded “ghost gun” pistol that was recovered from the apartment, as well as a quantity of ammunition for both pistols. A prior felony conviction for criminal possession of a firearm prevented Samuels from legally possessing a firearm in New York.
Samuels faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on October 28, 2022, by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino.
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 Schenectady Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.