BUFFALO, N.Y.—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Jeffrey Early, 32, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Astorga, who is handling the case stated that according to the complaint, on June 14, 2016, Buffalo Police Officers observed the defendant in the vicinity of 66 Barthel in Buffalo. Officers noticed Early wearing sweatpants and with his left hand on a bulge on his left leg. One of the officers then saw an extended magazine and shouted "Gun!" The defendant ran as the officers shouted multiple times "Gun! Drop It! Stop!" While fleeing from the officers, Early pulled a firearm from his waistband and jumped over a fence located at 75 Wasmuth.
While in the rear of the yard at 75 Wasmuth, officers saw the defendant with a firearm in his left hand and ordered him to drop the weapon and stop running. The complaint states that Early turned back toward the officers and jumped the fence of 75 Wasmuth and threw the firearm into a vacant field on the side of 75 Wasmuth. The defendant continued to flee from officers and jumped over the fence into 102 Barthel where he was taken into custody by officers. Buffalo Police officers immediately recovered the weapon, a Glock 9mm pistol loaded with one live cartridge in the chamber. Officers also recovered 32 live cartridges and a black piece from the bottom of the magazine and the spring to the magazine in the rear of 75 Wasmuth.
The defendant will appear in court this afternoon for a detention hearing at 4:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Delano A. Reid, and the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of Charles Salina.