Albany Felon Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Firearm Possession
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Zaiqua Acosta, age 21, of Albany, pled guilty today to being a felon in unlawful possession of a firearm.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
As part of his plea, Acosta admitted that, on May 5, 2020, in Albany, he possessed a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol, loaded with nine rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. Law enforcement officers recovered the loaded pistol from Acosta’s front waistband on May 5. Acosta has been in custody since June 26, 2020.
Acosta is prohibited from possessing the firearm as a result of a May 6, 2016 conviction in Albany County Court for Criminal Possession of Stolen Property-Fourth Degree, a Class E Felony.
As a result of this conviction, Acosta faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced by Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn on January 21, 2021. 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 ATF and Albany Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Williams.
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