Three Troy men headed to prison on gun charges

Three Troy men are heading to prison on weapons charges as part of a gun violence prevention initiative.

Deion Austin, 31, was sentenced to 6 ½ years in prison after pleading guilty to criminal possession of a weapon. He was arrested for possessing a loaded Taurus 9 mm handgun in the area of 547 Second Avenue in Troy on Feb. 25.

Jaheim Gourrier, 21, was sentenced to 5 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon. He had a 40-caliber “ghost gun” in his vehicle during a traffic stop.

Hector Rodriquez, 36, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to criminal possession of a weapon. He had a 9 mm handgun at Corliss Park in Troy on April 12.

These arrests were made possible with funding from the Gun Involved Violence (GIVE) grant. It is a partnership between the Troy Police Department, Rensselaer County District Attorney’s Office and Rensselaer County Probation. The funding awarded to select cities across the country.

“We appreciate the opportunity to engage in this team effort to remove illegal guns from the streets of Troy,” District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly in a news release. “Crimes have been prevented and victims have been spared. WE will continue to hold accountable those that choose to engage in illegal firearm activity.”