A Buffalo man was sentenced to community service for fraudulently submitting a pistol permit in 2023.
Raymond A. Brinson, 32, of Buffalo, was sentenced Friday before Buffalo City Court Judge Gary A. Wilson, Jr. He received a one-year conditional discharge. As a condition of the sentence, Brinson was ordered to perform 25 hours of community service.
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 part-time 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 issued four coupons to the resident to obtain four firearms he purchased with the pistol permit issued by the defendant.
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.
In May 2026, Brinson pleaded guilty to one count of official misconduct (Class A misdemeanor).
Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane commended 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.