Teen who benefited from ‘Raise the Age’ pleads guilty in gun case

A 19-year-old who was one of the beneficiaries of the “Raise the Age” movement is facing up to 15 years in state prison.

Eric Chapman Jr. pleaded guilty in Albany County Court on Thursday to two counts of criminal possession of a weapon and resisting arrest.

He was arrested back in July for carrying a loaded handgun and a high-capacity magazine, according to the Albany County District Attorney’s Office. Chapman ran away from police when they tried to arrest him.

Chapman also has been charged in connection with an armed robbery last May. He is also a suspect in the murder of 18-year-old Javone Sims Jr. in June 2023, according to prosecutors.

Sims was shot in the backyard of a Third Street residence. That case is pending.  

Chapman’s criminal history dates back to when he was arrested at age 12 for showing a handgun at a mall.