A Gallatin man indicted last year on 17 felony weapons charges has avoided prison time after pleading guilty to a single count, concluding more than a year of legal proceedings.
David Passeri, 60, entered his plea on Oct. 27 before Columbia County Court Judge Michael Howard, admitting to one felony count of criminal possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to five years’ probation and ordered to pay a $375 surcharge. As part of the plea agreement, Passeri waived his right to appeal.
Felony convictions generally bar firearm ownership. Passeri’s defense counsel has applied for a Certificate of Relief from Disabilities, which, if granted, could restore his ability to legally possess guns.
The outcome marks a reduction from the initial charges, which included first- and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. If convicted on all counts, Passeri had faced up to 25 years in prison.
In October 2024, prosecutors offered a plea deal reducing the charges to a single count of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a Class C felony, in exchange for a five-year prison term and three years of post-release supervision. After nearly a year of negotiations, Passeri — represented by private defense attorney Thomas K. Petro — secured a deal allowing him to retain the reduced charge while avoiding incarceration altogether.
The case stemmed from a January 2024 search of Passeri’s Sigler Road home, where state police said they seized 15 illegal firearms, including two untraceable “ghost guns,” along with several high-capacity magazines and boxes of ammunition. Prosecutors initially accused him of operating an illegal gun manufacturing operation, and a Columbia County grand jury indicted him that March on 17 felony counts.
Passeri’s March 2024 arrest followed years of noise complaints from neighbors about gunfire on his property.
“I am pleased that the defendant has taken responsibility for his criminal behavior,” District Attorney Chris Liberati-Conant said in a statement. “The felony conviction here reflects the seriousness of his criminal activity. As ever, my paramount concern is public safety and I will continue to vigorously enforce our gun laws.”
