Prior Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing Ammunition
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Michael Morris, 37, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition, before U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew McGrath, who is handling the case, stated that on May 27, 2021, two groups of men appeared to exchange words and began pushing and shoving one another at a corner store on North Street in Rochester. Morris and an unidentified individual produced firearms and exchanged gunfire outside of the store before fleeing the area. Rochester Police Officers responded and secured a cartridge case that had been ejected from Morris’s pistol, as well as video footage from both inside and outside of the store. Morris was identified as one of the shooters in the video. He was later taken into custody by the U.S. Marshal Service. Morris has three prior felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing ammunition.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in Charge John B. Devito, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, and the U.S. Marshals Task Force, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 7, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Larimer.
