BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announced Thursday that a Buffalo man pleaded guilty to one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.
The defendant, 29-year-old Joshua Gotthart, was the subject of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department Intelligence Unit at the time of his arrest.
On the morning of April 28, 2022, police observed Gotthart leave his home on Wright Avenue in Buffalo and drive away in a vehicle. A traffic stop was later initiated nearby in order to execute a search warrant at Gotthart's home.
Gotthart was taken into custody without incident, where he was found to be wearing a bullet-resistant body vest, and in possession of a ghost gun, which was worn in a holster on his hip.
The search warrant at Gotthart's home turned up three unregistered handguns, several long rifles, shotguns magazines, gun-making tools, and a large amount of ammunition.
Gotthart will face a maximum of 15 years in prison during his sentencing on Feb. 8, 2023. He was remanded without bail while pending sentencing.
