Bronx Man Convicted Of Possessing Ammunition In Connection With August 2020 Shooting

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ROBERT GONZALEZ pled guilty today to possessing ammunition after having been convicted of a felony in connection with a shooting that took place in the vicinity of the 1800 block of University Avenue in the Bronx, New York, in August of 2020.  GONZALEZ pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Robert Gonzalez possessed ammunition in furtherance of a violent shooting.  Today’s plea and conviction send the message that our Office is committed to bringing to justice those who perpetrate gun violence in our communities.”

As alleged in the Complaint, Indictment, and statements made in open court:

ROBERT GONZALEZ committed a shooting in the vicinity of the 1800 block of University Avenue in the Bronx on or about the evening of August 9, 2020.  Law enforcement officers responded to the shooting after three 911 calls.  When they arrived at the scene, law enforcement officers noticed two victims with gunshot wounds – one in the hand and another in the leg.  The victims were attending a neighborhood block party that began around midnight and continued into the early hours of the morning. 

Law enforcement officers identified ROBERT GONZALEZ as the shooter through, among other evidence, surveillance photographs and videos, which showed the shooter’s clothing and a unique-looking fanny pack around his torso, which matched surveillance images and videos of GONZALEZ from shortly before and after the shooting.  Officers recovered a 9mm Luger shell casing from the vicinity of the shooting and found a fanny pack that matched the unique-looking fanny pack the shooter wore during a search of GONZALEZ’s apartment.   

At the time of the August 9, 2020, shooting, GONZALEZ had been previously convicted of multiple felony offenses, including attempted criminal possession of a weapon, attempted robbery, and narcotics conspiracy.   

GONZALEZ, 34, of the Bronx, New York, pled guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1), 924(a)(2), and 2, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.  The statutory maximum penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.

GONZALEZ is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Caproni on February 7, 2022.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.