(WNY News Now) – ROCHESTER, N.Y. – A Rochester man has pleaded guilty to federal firearm charges and faces a potential 15-year prison sentence.
Taraja Green, 28, admitted to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in U.S. District Court before Judge Meredith A. Vacca. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Moynihan, the case stems from a March 17, 2024, incident in which Rochester Police officers discovered Green asleep in the driver’s seat of a running vehicle on Seward Street. Officers observed a loaded 9mm pistol resting on his lap. A background check revealed that Green had a prior felony conviction in Monroe County Court in August 2019, prohibiting him from legally possessing a firearm.
The case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, aimed at reducing violent crime through enforcement and community partnerships. The Rochester Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) led the investigation.
Green is scheduled for sentencing on July 8, 2025, before Judge Vacca.
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