NYS Senator Eric Adams And Assemblyman David Weprin Announced A Bill that Will Increase Criminal Penalties For Gun Owners

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NYS Senator Eric Adams and Assemblyman David Weprin introduced new legislation to increase criminal penalities for guns owners who allow their firearms to be used during the Commission of a serious felony

NYS Senator Eric Adams and Assemblyman David Weprin held a press conference to announce a bill that will increase criminal penalties for gun owners who allow their firearms to be used during the commission of a Class A or B felony.  The bill is in response to the arrest of a 24-year-old woman who was charged in connection with the guns used in the Christmas Eve ambush of volunteer fire fighters in upstate New York. 

The shooter, Mr. William Spengler, reportedly obtained the weapons from Ms. Dawn Nguyen, who served as a ‘straw buyer’ in a Rochester gun store.  Spengler used these guns to shoot four volunteer firefighters, killing two and severely injuring the other two.

This new legislation will add an additional count of Criminal Facilitation – classified as a Class B felony – to legal or illegal gun owners who knowingly enable someone to illegally possess a firearm that is subsequently used in the commission of a Class A or B felony.

Existing Law:

S 115.08 Criminal facilitation in the first degree.

  A person is guilty of criminal facilitation in the first degree when,

believing it probable that he is rendering aid to a person under sixteen

years of age who intends to engage in conduct that would constitute a

class A felony, he, being over eighteen years of age, engages in conduct

which provides such person with means or opportunity for the commission

thereof and which in fact aids such person to commit such a class A

felony.

New Change:

Or when he is rendering aid to a person to illegally possess a firearm and that weapon is used in the commission of a Class A or B felony.

 The maximum sentence for a Class B felony is 25 years in prison.

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