BUFFALO — Federal prosecutors say Lorenzo Harris, 20, of Buffalo, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with illegal possession of a machinegun.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York announced the charge on July 14, 2026. According to the office, law enforcement executed a search warrant on July 9 at an apartment at 80 Silo City Row in Buffalo. Officials say Harris was seen holding a firearm and tried to flee; he was taken into custody and agents seized the weapon, which the complaint alleges had a machinegun conversion attached.
The complaint carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Harris made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for July 20, 2026.
The U.S. Attorney’s office said the charge is the culmination of an investigation by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Buffalo Police Department’s Gang Intelligence Unit. The FBI and Buffalo Police have been investigating the Newburg 118 Drop Boys, which the release describes as a violent street gang operating on Buffalo’s east side; the release says Harris has been identified as a suspected gang member involved in firearm trafficking.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Richard Antoine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office statement reminds readers that a criminal charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of New York.
