Buffalo man pleads guilty to possession of a machinegun

BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Luis Mercado a/k/a Yvng Fabii, 24, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. to possession of a machinegun, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti, Louis M. Testani, Jeffrey E. Intravatola, and Katerina F. Powers, who are handling the case, stated that on February 9, 2024, police officers stopped Mercado, a local rapper with the stage name "Yvng Fabii," as he was fleeing a fight that occurred at a Buffalo State University basketball game. While officers were attempting to stop him, Mercado raised his arms and stated, "I got the thing on me." When officers asked what he was referring to, he responded, "I got the joint on me." Officers recovered a loaded defaced pistol, equipped with a machinegun conversion device and extended magazine, from Mercado's waistband.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and the Buffalo State University Police, under the direction of Chief Amy Pedlow.

Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

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