CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Tyshawn T. Babers, 29, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie Kocher, who is handling the case, stated that at approximately 2:00 a.m. on August 8, 2022, Rochester Police Officers responded to 231 Hudson Avenue for family trouble involving a gun. After arriving on the scene, officers spoke to a victim who stated that she and her ex-boyfriend, Babers, got into a verbal argument, during which Babers pulled out a black handgun. While officers were investigating, Babers quietly exited 231 Hudson Avenue. Officers then searched the residence and recovered a loaded handgun in an upstairs bedroom. In March 2012, Babers was convicted in Monroe County Court of weapons possession and robbery and is legally prohibited from a firearm and ammunition.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Smith and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 12, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. before Judge Wolford.
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