Schenectady Man Sentenced to 135 Months for Role in Gun Store Burglary

Jose Fontanez Stole Firearms From Licensed Dealer

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jose Fontanez, age 38, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to 135 months in prison for stealing, possessing, concealing, and storing firearms stolen from Target Sports, Inc., a federally licensed firearms dealer in Schenectady County.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

United States District Judge Norman A. Mordue also sentenced Fontanez to a 3-year term of supervised release and ordered that he pay restitution of $48,775.47.

Fontanez, who has prior felony convictions for robbery and drugs, pled guilty on April 16, 2018.  As part of his plea, Fontanez admitted that, on October 22, 2017, he and Christian Roman broke a window to gain entry into Target Sports and then removed dozens of firearms from the store, as well as ammunition and other property, making multiple trips to and from the store with the assistance of Dalmary Morales.  Fontanez further admitted that, after making an inventory of the stolen firearms, the two men hid them in a storage unit in Schenectady and, while on the run from law enforcement, enlisted accomplices in Amsterdam, New York, and Rochester, New York, to help retrieve and transport them to various locations in New York.  In exchange for their assistance, Fontanez and Roman provided some of the stolen firearms to their accomplices.

Christian Roman, age 25, of Schenectady, pled guilty in 2018 to stealing the firearms from Target Sports, and other, related charges.  He was sentenced to 150 months in prison.

Omar DeJesus, age 32, and Onic Martinez, age 34, both of Amsterdam, pled guilty in 2018 for their roles in stealing, transporting and possessing the firearms.  Both men were sentenced to 120 months in prison.

Dalmary Morales, age 24, of Schenectady, pled guilty in 2018 to stealing the firearms from Target Sports.  She was sentenced to 57 months in prison.

Juan Saez, age 37, of Rochester, pled guilty in 2018 for his role in stealing, transporting and possessing the firearms.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 20, 2020.

This case was investigated by the ATF, New York State Police, and the Glenville Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne A. Myers.