Three men from Syracuse are facing significant prison time after pleading guilty to charges related to firearms trafficking. Erik Burch, Khalid Richardson, and Lamar Stanford admitted to selling firearms illegally, including to individuals known to be felons, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York.
Case details indicate that Khalid Richardson, 30, admitted to selling firearms to a convicted felon on four separate occasions in 2022. He obtained the firearms from Erik Burch, also 30, and Lamar Stanford, 33, on at least two of those occasions. All three co-defendants acknowledged possessing firearms during the transactions, despite being prohibited from doing so due to prior felony convictions.
In a recent announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III delivered a direct message: “If you sell firearms to felons, be ready to spend a long time in federal prison. We will not tolerate felons buying, selling, or possessing firearms in the Northern District of New York. We will use all of the tools at our disposal to make sure these people are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he stated in the press release.
Bryan Miller, the ATF's Special Agent in Charge for the New York Field Division, expressed a similar position. He emphasized the dangers associated with illegal firearms trafficking, stating, “These defendants — including two convicted felons — were involved in trafficking firearms, a crime that puts lives at risk and undermines the safety of our communities,” according to the official release. The investigation was a coordinated effort involving the ATF, the Syracuse Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney's Office, which played a key role in disrupting the operation.
The charges that Burch, Richardson, and Stanford are each facing include up to 15 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and the possibility of a term of supervised release after imprisonment for up to 3 years. Sentencing is a matter for Judge David N. Hurd and will be based on a combination of the statutory violations, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant factors. Stanford is due for sentencing on August 27, with Richardson's and Burch's dates following on October 15 and November 12 respectively.
These convictions are a part of the broader Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, a Department of Justice-led effort focusing on reduction of violent crime through the collaboration of various stakeholders and by targeting the most violent offenders for prosecution. More information on the PSN program can be found on the Department of Justice's website.
