Niagara Falls Man With Two Prior Felony Convictions Pleads Guilty To Gun Charge

BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced that Jacob Taggart, 31, of Niagara Falls, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles E. Watkins, who is handling the case, stated that just after midnight on May 9, 2019, the Niagara Falls Police Department received a 911 call reporting that the defendant displaying a handgun inside the Players Bar on Niagara Street. Before officers arrived at the scene, Taggart left the club in a vehicle traveling on Ferry Avenue. Officers located the car and executed a stop. A 9mm handgun was found underneath the rear of the front passenger seat where defendant was seated. A review of the Players Bar surveillance video captured Taggart twice taking the firearm from his pocket and displaying it inside the bar. The firearm was previously reported stolen out of Stamford, Connecticut. The defendant was convicted: in January 2013, of attempted gang assault in the 2nd degree, and in February 2011, of criminal possession of a controlled substance. As a result, Taggart is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Thomas Licata, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito. Sentencing is scheduled for December 3, 2020, before Judge Sinatra.