DA Hoovler Announces Weapons Conviction After Jury Trial

July 27, 2022

DA Hoovler Announces Weapons Conviction After Jury Trial

Newburgh Man Convicted of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree for
Illegal Possession of Pistol

Defendant Faces Up to 15 Years based on prior Felony Convictions for
Weapons Possession, Assault and Animal Fighting

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, Corey Owens, 28, of Newburgh, was convicted following a jury trial in Orange County Court of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. The jury found that Owens had illegally possessed a loaded 9 mm semiautomatic pistol in the City of Newburgh on March 1, 2022. Owens was remanded to the Orange County Jail without bail following the jury’s verdict.
On March 1, 2022, the City of Newburgh Police Department received a report of a man with a handgun in the vicinity of Van Ness Street. A City of Newburgh police officer monitoring City operated street cameras observed a man discard his jacket by Van Ness Street and Carpenter Street when police vehicles were nearby. City of Newburgh police officers recovered the jacket and found it to contain a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol that was loaded with ten bullets. Police Officers stopped the man who had discarded the jacket, and identified him as Corey Owens, 28, of Newburgh. At the trial, prosecutors argued that DNA evidence taken from the gun corroborated that the gun had been possessed by Owens.
As a result of his prior criminal convictions, which include a previous conviction for felony weapons possession, felony assault with the use of weapon, and a previous felony conviction for animal fighting, Owens faces up to fifteen years in prison when he is sentenced on September 6, 2022.
District Attorney Hoovler thanked the City of Newburgh Police Department for their investigation and the arrest of the defendant.
“This defendant’s prior criminal history, as well as his illegal possession of a loaded firearm, demonstrates that he is danger to the community and deserves a very lengthy state prison sentence,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to severely punish convicted felons who continue to illegally carry guns on our city streets.”
District Attorney Hoovler highly commended Executive Assistant District Attorneys Michael Milza who prosecuted the case.

A criminal charge is merely an allegation by the police 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 a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.