Red Hook

Brooklyn judge gives troubled gun-wielder second chance to prove himself

July 18, 2017 By Paul Frangipane Special to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Tyson Jeffries dodged a sentencing today for gun possession after a Brooklyn judge gave him two months to prove himself. Eagle file photo by Paul Frangipane
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A Brooklyn Judge gave a Red Hook gun wielder two more months of freedom at his sentencing Tuesday to prove himself after he got caught drinking in public and didn’t report it to the court.

Judge Pamela Chen mulled over Tyson Jeffries’ troubled childhood and struggle with drug addiction as she tried to decide an appropriate sentence for the man who was caught with a pistol in Red Hook and told police to “f—–g shoot” him.

“Mr. Jeffries has had a very troubled life,” defense lawyer, Michael Weil said in Brooklyn federal court. “He has genuine deficits.”

Weil wrote in a court letter that Jeffries started his first job ever four months ago, taking care of his grandmother for $11 an hour.

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Jeffries grew up in the Red Hook Houses without a father, who was an abusive alcoholic, according to Weil’s letter.

He was placed in special education in second grade and stayed in it through childhood, eventually dropping out of school in ninth grade and getting caught up in the street life, which led him to a 2010 cocaine dealing conviction, for which he served 15 months in prison.

Four months after his term of supervised release, on June 5, 2016, four women flagged down two police officers on Mill Street and then pointed to Jeffries who they said was, “blasting heat,” according to court filings.

Jeffries fled when the cops drove towards him, throwing the gun in a grassy area on Centre Mall behind 22 Mill Street in Red Hook.

Jeffries told an approaching cop to shoot him, but eventually surrendered himself.

On Feb. 27, 2017, he pleaded guilty to the gun possession.

“I’m extremely concerned about Mr. Jeffries’ history,” Judge Chen said in court.

Weil added in his letter that Jeffries was smoking four blunts a day and had stopped smoking after his arrest, but he lost points for missing his curfew for being drunk on one occasion and not reporting his July 11 public drinking ticket on another occasion.

“I think he has had a year to prove himself,” Jeffries’ pretrial services officer said.

Jeffries sat next to his grandmother in court as Weil argued that Jeffries’ job taking care of her is turning him on the right track.

“He’s a good helper,” Jeffries’ grandmother told Judge Chen. “Since he’s been doing this, he’s been out of trouble.”

Because of Jeffries’ drinking incidents, Chen has ordered he participate in a drug addiction program when he is not taking care of his grandmother.

Jeffries will be sentenced on September 27.

“Everything you do now has some consequences,” Chen said. “Good luck, Mr. Jeffries.”


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