COLONIE — Acting on a tip from Georgia, police recovered the 26th illegal handgun of 2020 on Wednesday, Dec., 23.
According to Lt. Robert Winn, the tipster informed police she reported the handgun stolen in her state but believed he was in Colonie. Using information on social median the victim believed he was at the Courtyard Marriot on Wolf Road.
The suspect, 34-year-old Nicholas Cole, of Florida, was registered at the hotel but was not in his room and his whereabouts were unknown.
Police established surveillance on the hotel and obtained a search warrant for his room and his car.
Cole returned to the hotel at around 11:20 p.m. and was detained without incident.
He had a loaded Beretta Nano 9 mm pistol in the waistband of his pants and had in his possession a quantity of concentrated cannabis.
Cole was also a registered sex offender with warrants out for his arrest out of Schenectady for failing to register, unlawful imprisonment t and menacing and a warrant out of Rotterdam for aggravated harassment.
He does not have a pistol permit and cannot possess a handgun legally in this state due to five previous felony convictions and an active orders of protection against him.
He is charged with the felonies of criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of stolen property as well as the misdemeanors of criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal contempt.
He was taken to the Albany County jail pending arraignment.
