Brooklyn Felon Sentenced to 65 Months for Illegally Possessing Firearms

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Burlington E. Nieuenkirk, age 47, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today to 65 months in prison for illegally possessing three loaded firearms as a felon.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Albany County Sheriff Craig D. Apple Sr. made the announcement.

When he pled guilty in this case, Nieuenkirk admitted that on April 30, 2020, he possessed three loaded pistols, one of which had been reported stolen, at a residence in Green Island, New York.  A prior felony conviction for robbery prevented Nieuenkirk from legally possessing the firearms in New York.

Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. also ordered that Nieuenkirk serve a 3-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.

The ATF and the Albany County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case with assistance provided by the Albany County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.