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Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Feds unveil strategy to prosecute more gun possession cases in court

There is a new Federal program announced 10 days ago called Operation Trigger Lock where the Feds are re-arresting convicted felons charged with gun possession and prosecuting them Federally.  I was just retained on one of these cases where the client is being prosecuted Federally for possession of ammunition.    - Robert E. Brown, Esq.

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The feds are ramping up efforts to reduce gun violence in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, officials said Friday. 

The Brooklyn U.S. Attorney's office is unrolling a strategy -- in conjunction with the NYPD, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the district attorneys' offices - to prosecute more gun possession cases in federal court. A federal conviction for illegal gun possession carries tougher penalties than a case prosecuted in state court. For example, a convicted felon nabbed with an illegal handgun would qualify for a federal prosecution carrying a penalty of five years or more in prison compared to one year for a state conviction. "We're going to be expanding our footprint in this area," a federal official said. Federal prosecutors working in the Eastern District of New York have modeled the push for more gun cases on a program called Project Exile that was the brainchild of FBI Director James Comey when he was the United States Attorney in Richmond, Va., in the late 1990s. 

"The Eastern District's anti-gun initiative is in response to the recently reported uptick in gun violence in New York City," said Assistant U.S. Attorney James McGovern, chief of the criminal division for the EDNY. "We intend to dedicate additional prosecutors and resources to pursue the federal prosecution of those who possess illegal guns." This week NYPD Police Commissioner William Bratton launched Operation Summer All-Out, deploying more than 330 cops to combat violence in precincts in Brooklyn and Queens where there are spikes in murders and shootings. 

 Police officials have conceded they are struggling with the surge in gun related violence, although overall crime is down. "The goal is to remove violent offenders from the street with stiffer penalties," another official said. Project Exile even included a public advertising campaign warning perpetrators, "An illegal gun gets you five years in a federal prison," but there are no immediate plans to do that in New York City, the official said.

The Full Article Can be Found Here: http://www.nydailynews.com

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