Also includes time for a separate attempted burglary charge
ALBANY – An Albany man will spend up to 17 years in state prison after accepting a plea deal offered by the Albany County District Attorney’s office on Wednesday, Jan. 22, in County Court.
Willie Moses, 49, pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a weapon before Judge Andra Ackerman on Tuesday. Ackerman sentenced Moses to serve 10 years in state prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision, for the weapon charge. He was also sentenced to seven years in state prison, with five years of post-release supervision, for a prior attempted second-degree burglary conviction. The sentences will run consecutively.
The Colonie Police Department, assisted by the New York State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Capital Region Crime Analysis Center, and the Albany and Troy police departments, recovered seven of the 14 handguns stolen on Thursday, Nov. 14, from New York Shooter Supply at 1593 Central Ave.
The attempted burglary occurred at American Shooter Supply at 1702 Central Ave. on Wednesday, Nov. 13, shortly before midnight. Colonie police responded to a burglar alarm at that location. The New York Shooter Supply burglary took place just after 2 a.m. the following morning.
“It took only a matter of hours to identify and apprehend the suspects,” said Colonie Police Chief James Gerace Jr.
Within 24 hours of the burglary, three suspects were taken into custody, and seven of the stolen firearms were recovered. A fourth suspect was later apprehended. Law enforcement is still working to locate the remaining seven firearms, which include Glock, Shadow Systems, FN, and Rost Martin handguns.
Paul F. Gervasio, 37, of New Lebanon, has been charged with multiple felonies, including first-degree criminal possession of a weapon (possession of more than 10 stolen firearms), burglary, and grand larceny.
Willie N. Moses, 40, of Albany, faces similar felony charges, including first-degree criminal possession of a weapon and burglary. Moses was already awaiting sentencing for a prior felony burglary conviction.
Nicole M. January, 43, of Latham, has been charged with hindering prosecution, a felony, and misdemeanors including possession of stolen property, endangering the welfare of a child, and possession of a controlled substance.
Dante M. Chisholm, 50, of Troy, has been charged with misdemeanor criminal possession of stolen property.
Surveillance footage and investigative efforts revealed that the suspects gained access to the gun store through a shared hallway and cut through sheetrock to enter the premises. They then fled to a getaway vehicle, later identified as a 2014 Subaru Forester. Police tracked the vehicle to an apartment complex in Latham and a storage unit in Colonie, where firearms and other stolen property were recovered.
“Public safety is paramount here in the Town of Colonie,” said Colonie Town Supervisor Peter Crummey, commending law enforcement’s rapid response. “We celebrate these agencies for promptly and openly working with our Colonie Police Department.”
Gerace noted that such incidents are rare, with the last similar gun store burglary in the area occurring in 2017.
The other cases are pending in Albany County Court. Moses’ cases were handled by Assistant District Attorneys Bryanne Perlanski and William Andrews.