A Buffalo man with three prior felony convictions has been charged with illegally possessing a firearm after police investigated a reported shooting and later arrested him during a vehicle stop. David Williams, 36, was detained following his initial federal court appearances.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm carries a maximum sentence of 15 years, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The criminal complaint is an accusation, and Williams is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Buffalo police responded to a shots-fired report near Geneva and Curtiss streets on October 11, 2026. Officers recovered shotgun and 9 mm shell casings.
Two people told detectives the following day that they had been sitting in a vehicle outside a Geneva Street residence when a black vehicle approached against traffic. A man then walked up, tapped on their window and pointed a firearm at one of them, according to the complaint.
The occupants drove away. One told police the man began firing, leaving multiple bullet holes in their vehicle.
Investigators used location information from an ankle monitor Williams was wearing while under state supervision to determine his whereabouts at the time, prosecutors said.
Detectives tried to take Williams into custody during an October 14 stop near Bailey Avenue and East Ferry Street. The complaint says he pulled away, tried to flee and continued resisting as officers handcuffed him. Officers reported recovering a loaded firearm and a bag of suspected narcotics.
The FBI, Buffalo Police Department and state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision investigated the case. Williams appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Roemer.
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