Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms Crimes

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Mergim Ademi, age 24, of Syracuse, pled guilty today to firearms offenses including Dealing in Firearms Without a License, Sale of Firearms and Ammunition to a Prohibited Person, and Possession of a Firearm in a School Zone.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

As part of his guilty plea, Ademi admitted that between approximately January 2023 and March 2024, he obtained firearms and firearm parts, advertised them for sale through Facebook and other means, then sold them to customers in exchange for cash, knowing that he did not hold a license as a firearms dealer. Ademi further admitted that in 7 transactions between December 19, 2023 and March 28, 2024, he sold a rifle, 9 handguns (including some that were privately made firearms, and some that had been reported stolen), a forced reset trigger, and multiple rounds of ammunition. Ademi acknowledged that he sold firearms and ammunition to an individual whom he had reasonable cause to believe was a felon. Ademi also admitted that he sold firearms to a customer at a location that was within approximately 260 feet of the grounds of a charter high school in Syracuse, New York.

At sentencing scheduled for November 27, 2024, before United States District Judge David N. Hurd, Ademi faces a combined maximum sentence of 25 years' imprisonment and a criminal fine of up to $750,000. Additionally, Ademi may be required to serve a post-imprisonment term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant's sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant violated, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

ATF and the Syracuse Police Department investigated the case, with the assistance of the New York State Police Community Stabilization Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.