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Press Release

Rochester Man Charged With Possession Of Stolen Guns

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of New York

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas E. Gregory, who is handling the case, stated that according to complaint, on July 29, 2015, officers with the Rochester Police Department responded to 1070 Lake Avenue in Rochester for a report of a burglary occurring at the residence. The resident of the premises informed officers that intruders entered the house and stole a gun safe that contained three firearms including a 39mm rifle, a .40 caliber rifle and a 12 gauge shotgun.

Three days later, on August 1, 2015, officers responded to Lowry’s residence at 33 Phelps Avenue in Rochester on an unrelated call for service. While there, officers observed a New England Arms Pardner shotgun on the front porch of the residence, loaded with one round of ammunition. After tracing the firearm's serial number, investigators determined the gun was one of the three stolen from 1070 Lake Avenue on July 29, 2015.

Lowry will make an initial appearance on September 29, 2015, at 9:30 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan W. Feldman. This arrest is a result of our increased response to the recent spike in violence on the west side of Rochester, including the murder of three individuals at the Boys and Girls Club.

The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Delano A. Reid, New York Field Division, by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 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. 

Updated September 29, 2015