Albany Man Who Fled the State After 2020 Shooting Pleads Guilty to Gun Charges

Albany County District Attorney Lee C. Kindlon announced today that a 37-year-old Albany man who fired a handgun at a group of people in the summer of 2020 has admitted his guilt.

Kareem Alston, 37, pleaded guilty in front of the Honorable Andra Ackerman to Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree.

On June 24, 2020, at approximately 8:12 p.m., Albany Police received reports of a man firing several rounds toward individuals who were standing in the area of Ontario Street and Third Street. No injuries were reported during the incident.

Detectives from APD's Criminal Investigation Unit investigated the shooting and arrested Alston later that night.

Alston failed to appear for a court appearance and fled the state to avoid prosecution. On Nov. 27, 2023, Alston was found with a handgun and arrested in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, by the U.S. Marshals Task Force.

The Office of U.S. Attorneys prosecuted Alston and he was sentenced to time in federal prison.

On Nov. 14, investigators with the Albany County District Attorney's Office flew to the Federal Correctional Institution in Hazelton, W.Va., to return Alston and prosecute him in Albany County Court.

He will face seven years in state prison followed by five years of post-release supervision when he is sentenced on Feb. 18, 2026.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Joseph Brucato, Bureau Chief of the Major Crimes Unit.