Schenectady Felon Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Loaded Firearm
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Thomas Hendricks Jr., age 41, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for illegally possessing a loaded pistol as a felon.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman 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 previously entered guilty plea, Hendricks admitted that on June 20, 2021, he brandished a 9mm semi-automatic pistol while live-streaming on his Facebook account. He further admitted that on June 28, 2021, he possessed the same loaded pistol in his residence in the city of Schenectady, at which time it was seized by the Schenectady Police Department pursuant to a search warrant. Two prior felony convictions, for criminal possession of a weapon and aggravated cruelty to animals, prevented Hendricks from legally possessing the firearm in New York.
United States District Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered Hendricks to serve a 3-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.
This case was investigated by ATF and the Schenectady Police Department with assistance provided by the Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office. This case was 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.
