Erik Burch, Khalid Richardson, and Lamar Stanford, all from Syracuse, have pled guilty to charges related to a firearms trafficking operation. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Bryan Miller of the ATF’s New York Field Division announced the guilty pleas.
Richardson admitted to selling firearms to a known felon on four occasions in 2022. He obtained firearms twice from co-defendants Stanford and Burch, who also admitted to possessing firearms during those sales. Both Stanford and Burch were prohibited from firearm possession due to prior felony convictions.
Acting U.S. Attorney John Sarcone emphasized the seriousness of selling firearms to felons: “If you sell firearms to felons, be ready to spend a long time in federal prison. We will not tolerate felons buying, selling, or possessing firearms in the Northern District of New York.”
ATF Special Agent Bryan Miller highlighted the threat posed by illegal firearms trafficking: “This case underscores the serious threat that illegal firearms trafficking pose to our communities… Thanks to the diligent work of ATF NY Syracuse… we were able to disrupt this operation and hold these individuals accountable.”
The charges against Burch, Richardson, and Stanford could result in up to 15 years in prison, fines up to $250,000, and supervised release for up to three years. Sentencing dates are set for August 27 for Stanford, October 15 for Richardson, and November 12 for Burch before Senior U.S. District Judge David N. Hurd.
The ATF led the investigation with help from the Syracuse Police Department’s Intelligence Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica N. Carbone is prosecuting under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through community collaboration.
