Albany man Willie Green, aged 42, was sentenced to 63 months in prison on Monday for unlawful firearm possession, adding to his already significant sentence for a prior murder conviction. According to an announcement by United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Green had pleaded guilty to possessing a loaded pistol on January 1, 2022, a weapon he wasn't legally allowed to have due to a previous felony conviction.
Green's current 25 years-to-life sentence for the 2024 murder conviction, secured by the Albany County District Attorney’s Office, will now be followed by the federal prison term. As U.S. Attorney Sarcone emphasized in a statement obtained by U.S. Attorney's Office, "Willie Green cannot serve enough prison time for the crimes he’s committed. He should never get out, and if he is granted parole by New York State, he will be immediately taken to federal prison to start serving his term of imprisonment in this case. Albany is safer if this murderer stays locked up for good."
ATF's Miller reasserted the commitment of law enforcement to keep violent offenders like Green accountable, highlighting the partnership between ATF, Albany PD, and the U.S. Attorney's Office NDNY. "This sentence reflects our unwavering commitment to holding violent offenders accountable—especially those who continue to possess firearms despite felony convictions," Miller told the U.S. Attorney's Office. He credited the collaborative effort for the success in managing public safety threats.
In addition to the prison term, Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. imposed a 3-year term of supervised release to commence following Green’s release from federal custody. The case against Green was investigated by ATF in collaboration with the Albany Police Department, the lead prosecutorial efforts were carried by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikayla Espinosa. Espinosa's prosecution is a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an evidence-based program focused on the reduction of violent crime through the collaboration of a variety of stakeholders identifying and solving crime problems within the community. PSN aims to focus enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partner with prevention and reentry programs to achieve lasting crime reduction. More information on PSN can be found on their website, as introduced by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
