Jury Convicts Newburgh Felon of Firearms Possession

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Andre Decker, age 45, of Newburgh, New York, was convicted on Friday of possessing a firearm as a felon following a 4-day jury trial.

United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and United States Marshal David McNulty made the announcement.

The trial proof established that Decker, who was previously convicted of a violent felony involving a firearm, absconded from federal probation supervision and was the subject of an arrest warrant. On November 27, 2023, when Deputy United States Marshals attempted to apprehend Decker, he fled the apartment he shared with his girlfriend and led law enforcement on a foot chase wearing only his underwear. Decker broke into a neighboring apartment and hid in a closet where he was quickly located and arrested. The defendant possessed two loaded firearms in his apartment. 

U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Andre Decker couldn’t hide from the U.S. Marshals, and he couldn’t escape this trial conviction, either. Decker’s extensive criminal history and utter disregard for the law warranted zealous prosecution for his conduct in this case, and that’s just what he got. I thank the U.S. Marshals and Albany Police Department for their work in apprehending the defendant and keeping him off the streets.”

U.S. Marshal David McNulty stated: “Mr. Decker is a danger to our community.  We are proud to have secured his capture and wish to thank both the community, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and all our fellow law enforcement agencies whose cooperation was so important in this case.”

Sentencing is scheduled for October 15, 2025, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci.  Decker faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

The United States Marshal Service and Albany Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mikayla Espinosa and Ashlyn Miranda prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.