Newburgh Man Admits Having 2 Illegal Loaded Handguns

NEWBURGH, NY — An Orange County man admitted in court that he had illegal handguns in the city of Newburgh.

Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler said on Friday that Christian Brown, 24, of Newburgh, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

The pleas were entered in connection with Brown having had a handgun on two different days in the city of Newburgh.

Under the plea agreement, the district attorney’s office will recommend Brown be sentenced to a total of 18 years in prison and five years post-release supervision when he is sentenced July 12.

Brown admitted that on July 6 he had possessed a loaded handgun on Broadway in the city of Newburgh, which he discharged at another person, who was not injured.

Brown also admitted that on Oct. 21 he had a loaded pistol while outside the Laake Street Apartments in the city of Newburgh.

Newburgh city police officers recovered a loaded 9mm pistol from Brown when they arrested him Oct. 21.

Testing of the expelled shell casings showed that the gun which Brown fired July 6 was not the same gun he was carrying on Oct. 21.

The district attorney’s office said it recommended a sentence of 10 years in prison for the July 6 weapon possession charge and eight years for the July 6 charge, to be served consecutively. That is in addition to the five years post-release supervision.

Hoovler said that removing illegally possessed handguns and those who recklessly use them on city streets remains a major priority.

“While I fully support the right of law-abiding citizens to legally obtain firearms, those who illegally possess pistols and particularly those who use those weapons on others will face severe consequences in Orange County,” he said.

“Those who live, work and visit our cities have the right to do so free of the wanton violence that invariably stems from illegally possessed handguns,” Hoovler said.