Rochester Man Charged With Possession Of A Firearm Linked To Murders At Boys And Girls Club

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051
 
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that Ramel Robinson, 21, of Rochester, NY, was charged by criminal complaint in connection with unlawful possession of a firearm which was stolen from the residence at 1070 Lake Avenue in Rochester. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas E. Gregory, who is handling the case, stated that on July 29, 2015, Robinson unlawfully entered the residence at 1070 Lake Avenue and stole a gun safe that contained three firearms and numerous rounds of ammunition.    The firearms included an AK-47, a .40 caliber rifle and a single shot shotgun. The AK-47 was later recovered by police hidden under the front porch of a residence on Clay Avenue. That gun has been linked to the mass shooting at the Boys and Girls Club on August 19, 2015.

The shotgun was later recovered at a residence on Phelps Avenue, leading to the arrest of Joseph Lowry on federal gun charges. The current location of the .40 caliber rifle is unknown. Previously, on September 9, 2015, Robinson was charged by federal authorities for possessing two additional stolen firearms related to a burglary of a residence at 184 Clay Avenue.  The defendant is currently in custody on state and federal charges.

Robinson will appear make an initial appearance this morning at 10:30 a.m.  before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson.

The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Delano A. Reid, New York Field Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Cohen, and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Ciminelli.

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.