Saratoga County District Attorney Karen A. Heggen announced today that Timothy J. Feldman (DOB 1/12/2001) was sentenced in Saratoga County Court to two-to-six (2-6) years in a state correctional facility in connection with his July 2023 arrest for possessing a loaded “ghost gun” in downtown Saratoga Springs. The Defendant previously waived his right to a Grand Jury presentation and pled guilty by way of Superior Court Information to Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree: Defaced Firearm, a Class “D” Felony in violation of New York State Penal Law § 265.02(3).
A Caroline Street bouncer located a firearm on the Defendant’s person as he attempted to enter a local bar during the early-morning hours of July 23, 2023. The bouncer immediately flagged down nearby members of the Saratoga Springs Police Department who quickly approached the Defendant, took possession of the firearm, and led the Defendant away from the crowded Caroline Street.
Upon closer inspection, the Saratoga Springs Police Department determined that the firearm did not possess a valid serial number and was therefore an untraceable, illegal “ghost gun” whose prevalence has surged throughout New York State over the past several years. The Defendant, a twenty-three (23) year-old former Schoharie County Corrections Officer, later admitted that he had purchased the firearm components online and built it himself.
“This is yet another example of hardworking Caroline Street business owners working alongside the Saratoga Springs Police Department to confront the city’s ongoing issues with loaded firearms downtown,” said District Attorney Heggen. “This kind of behavior, regardless of your age or profession, is completely inexcusable. I hope this plea and significant State Prison sentence serve as a warning to those who would even consider unlawfully carrying loaded firearms in the city.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Joseph Frandino together with District Attorney Investigator Jack Barney.