Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announces that Raymond A. Brinson, 32, of Buffalo, pleaded guilty this morning before Buffalo City Court Judge Gary A. Wilson, Jr. to one count of Official Misconduct (Class A misdemeanor).
In April 2025, the Erie County Clerk’s Office received a letter from the New York State Police to report that their Albany Office had received coupons for four firearms registered to a resident in Erie County who did not have a record of a pistol permit. The Erie County Clerk’s Office was unable to locate documentation for a pistol permit but did locate records for the resident’s application that was denied in March 2021. A denial notation was entered into the records by Brison, a Clerk’s Office employee.
The resident submitted another pistol permit application in June 2022, according to Clerk’s Office records. A second denial notation was entered by Brinson. On September 6, 2023, Brinson approved and issued an unrestricted pistol permit for the resident. Brinson also approved and issued four coupons for the resident to obtain purchased firearms.
The Clerk’s Office contacted the Erie County Sheriff’s Office for further investigation, which determined that Brison had communicated with the resident prior to his issuance of the pistol permit and the four coupons. Brinson resigned from his position in August 2024.
Brinson is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday, July 31, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. The maximum possible sentence is up to 364 days in jail, but Judge Wilson committed to a one-year conditional discharge. Brinson was released on his own recognizance.
DA Keane commends the New York State Police, Erie County Clerk’s Office and Detective Dan Brinkerhoff of the Erie County Sheriff’s Office for their work in this investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Chief Gary M. Ertel of the Public Integrity Unit.