DA Hoovler-4 1/2 Year Sentence in Handgun Possession Case

October 10, 2023

District Attorney Hoovler Details Prison Sentence in Wallkill Gun Case

Defendant Sentenced to 4.5 Years in Prison

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, Kevin Brown, 33, of Middletown, was sentenced before the Honorable Craig Stephen Brown in the Orange County Court to four and one half (4.5) years in prison to be followed by five (5) years of post-release supervision in relation to his previous guilty plea to Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. 

As alleged in statements made and documents filed in court, on June, 6th 2023, at approximately 7:33 p.m., Town of Wallkill Police responded to the vicinity of the Middletown Motel for a report of shots fired and a man with a gun. There, the police learned that a utility worker who was in the area had a brief verbal altercation with the defendant, who was in a vehicle.  The defendant told the utility worker he would be right back and then pointed a loaded and illegally possessed pistol at the worker.  The utility worker grabbed the gun to protect himself and a struggle over the firearm ensued.  As a result, two rounds were discharged from the weapon before the utility worker could wrestle the gun away from the defendant.  At the plea proceedings, the defendant admitted to unlawfully possessing the loaded firearm.

District Attorney Hoovler thanked the Town of Wallkill PoliceDepartment for their investigation and the arrest of Brown.  

“It is a miracle that the senseless actions of this defendant did not result in serious injury or death to the victim,” said DistrictAttorney David M. Hoovler. “Petty disputes should never be resolved with the use of firearms.  But for the actions of the victim in this case, the outcome might very well have been much more tragic.  Let the prison sentence imposed on this offender serve as a warning to those who intend to illegally possess dangerous firearms.  My Office will continue to seek significant sentences for those who make dangerous decisions to illegally possess weapons that put innocent people at risk.  I commend the work of the police for their thorough investigation which resulted in the conviction.”

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michael Roche.

This criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to afair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.