NY Man Sentences To Prison After Gun Dealer Reported Large Ammunition Purchases, Leading To Unregistered Guns

CAYUGA COUNTY, NEW YORK — A man from Cayuga County was sentenced to prison for possessing an unregistered and short-barreled AR-15-style rifle, as per federal prosecutors. Duane Hollenbeck, 54, of Moravia, was charged after investigators discovered multiple “ghost guns” and “high-capacity magazines” at one of his properties. He was arrested alongside Alec D. Hollenbeck, 19, of Lincklaen, Chenango County.

The investigation was prompted by a gun retailer’s report of Alec Hollenbeck frequently purchasing ammunition in large quantities for over a month. An Instagram post depicting Alec holding two rifles further raised concerns. During the search at Duane Hollenbeck’s camp in Pitcher, Chenango County, investigators found four AR-15 style rifles, five handguns, and five homemade suppressors without serial numbers.

One of the rifles had a barrel measuring just over 11 inches, requiring registration in the National Firearm Registration and Transfer Record, which was not done, according to prosecutors. Chief U.S. District Judge Brenda Sannes sentenced Duane Hollenbeck to 41 months in prison for possessing an unregistered firearm. The sentence will run concurrently with any state court conviction.

Duane Hollenbeck’s defense lawyer mentioned an expected sentence in Chenango County Court, where he faces two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Hollenbeck claimed target shooting with family was a pastime, and he had built many of the guns with relatives, including Alec Hollenbeck, over the course of several years at his camp. Online purchases were cited as the source of many gun components, according to court documents.