Weapons offenses in New York are very serious and they often merit very experienced and aggressive defense representation because, typically, gun charges are connected to a larger criminal case.

In Syracuse recently, the Onondaga County Sheriff's Department allegedly found five stolen guns related to investigations of two separate home invasions.

In the first incident, two suspects are being accused of breaking into a home in Brewerton and stealing jewelry and two guns - which they then allegedly traded for drugs. A 28-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man now face felony charges for second-degree burglary and third-degree grand larceny as well as a misdemeanor charge for fourth-degree criminal mischief.

The stolen guns were reportedly recovered at a home in Syracuse and three men inside that home have been charged now, too. Two 38-year-olds who live at that address have been charged with felony weapons charges as well as drug charges related to cocaine reportedly found in the home. A 19-year-old who was at the home but does not live there was charged with a marijuana offense.

In the second incident, police responded to a residential burglary in Lyncourt. Detectives who were investigating the incident recovered two reportedly stolen guns in a Syracuse apartment. Four juveniles were charged in connection with the burglary and a 19-year-old faces fourth-degree possession charges of a weapon and stolen property.

When police accuse someone of violating New York gun laws, the accused person simply cannot afford to take it lightly - especially if he or she has a criminal record or faces multiple charges, as is the case for those arrested in these cases. Often, the presence of a gun at a crime scene means that prosecutors will not be willing to agree to a plea arrangement. This makes it all the more important to have a criminal defense attorney advocate for your rights at trial.

Source: Syracuse.com, "Two Syracuse cases = five guns, 10 arrests," Charles Ellis, Jan. 6, 2012