Buffalo Man Indicted For Being A Felon In Possession Of Ammunition

BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Larry Watkins, Sr., 51, of Buffalo, NY, with being a felon in possession of ammunition. The charge carries a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul C. Parisi, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and statement by the Government to the Court, on June 16, 2018, the defendant discharged a firearm on Stanton Street in Buffalo in broad daylight.  In April of 1993, Watkins was convicted of a felony in Erie County Court. In May 2005, the defendant was convicted of a felony in federal court. As a result of those prior convictions, Watkins is legally prohibited from possessing ammunition. 

The defendant was arraigned this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and is being held pending a detention hearing on June 25, 2018, at 2:00 p.m.

The indictment is the culmination of investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert; the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard.

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.