Nathaniel Hollins

A Dunkirk man has been found guilty following a two-week trial involving possessing a loaded handgun.

He could face decades to life in prison due to his criminal history.

District Attorney Jason Schmidt announced that 34-year-old Nathaniel Hollins was found guilty of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a Class C violent felony, by a county jury in a trial presided over by Judge David W. Foley. The guilty verdict was the result of collaboration between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Dunkirk Police Department, New York State Police Forensic Laboratory, and Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office.

On Nov. 8, 2023, Dunkirk Police acted upon a tip provided to them by their federal partners, and apprehended Hollins in the vicinity of Webster Street in the city of Dunkirk. An FBI agent working in conjunction with Dunkirk Police officers found a loaded handgun near the place Hollins was apprehended. DNA analysis was performed by the New York State Police Crime Laboratory in Albany, and was crucial to establish that Hollins possessed the loaded handgun.

The case was prosecuted by lead attorney Second Assistant District Attorney Erik Bentley. Bentley expresses his gratitude to his trial team, second chair Assistant District Attorney Andrew Hall, and paralegal Abigail Zatorski.

Hollins is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 11. He potentially faces sentencing as a persistent felon due to his prior felony convictions and up to 25 years to life as an indeterminate range in state prison.

Hollins was arrested in Dunkirk in October, 2013 after an individual was shot in the leg.

He was later arrested in July 2019 for a shooting in Jamestown. No injuries were received in that incident but it was reported that Hollins shot and hit a vehicle.

Schmidt would like to thank all the agencies involved in the prosecution of this latest case. “The successful outcome here could not have been achieved without the hard work and dedication of Dunkirk Police who acted immediately and with focused purpose and determination to protect their community from yet another illegal handgun on our city streets, this time carried by a convicted felon who had no legal right and absolutely no legitimate purpose for arming himself. Every single day our police are out there patrolling our streets, doing everything they can within their powers under the law to keep us safe. It is not just their fight. It’s all of ours. I would also like to acknowledge FBI Special Agent Jeffrey Homza who not only played a key role here, but who has contributed his time and resources to many of our local investigations and has forged an excellent working relationship with all of Chautauqua County law enforcement,” he said.

Dunkirk Police Chief Christopher Witkowski said, “I want to thank our patrol officers, detectives, crime scene investigators, range officers, and the FBI for their outstanding work on this case. I also want to thank the District Attorney’s Office for their diligent efforts in securing this guilty verdict. Our officers take great pride in their work, and their professionalism was clearly reflected in the outcome of this case. This verdict is a testament to the strong collaboration between the Dunkirk Police Department, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, and the District Attorney’s Office, and the shared commitment to keeping our community safe.”