TOWN OF POUGHKEEPSIE – The son of an anti-gun violence group in Poughkeepsie has been arrested on gun charges for the second time in three months. Twenty-year-old Shaheem Jackson, son of , was arrested by the state police in March in East Fishkill on gun and drug charges, and was arrested Friday in the Town of Poughkeepsie on gun charges following a traffic stop.
SNUG (guns spelled backward) is a program administered and funded by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) to reduce gun violence. The SNUG Street Outreach program uses a public health approach to address gun violence by identifying the source, interrupting the transmission, and treating individuals, families, and communities affected by the violence.
According to DCJS, “SNUG street outreach workers are credible messengers because they live in the communities in which they work, and some have been involved with the criminal justice system or lost loved ones to violence. They work with teens and young adults to detect and defuse disputes before they escalate; respond to shootings to prevent retaliation through mediation and assist family members of those who have been injured or killed; and mentor youth involved with the program to set goals and connect them with educational and job opportunities as well as other services.”
On Friday, Town of Poughkeepsie police stopped a Chevrolet Malibu that had been flagged by the Dutchess County Analysis and Real Time Crime Intelligence Center (ARTCIC) to be potentially involved in criminal activity.
The driver was identified as 19-year-old J’Amori Douglas of Poughkeepsie, who was found operating the vehicle with a suspended driver’s license. Officers recovered three loaded illegal handguns from inside the vehicle. One of the handguns seized had previously been reported stolen.
Douglas was arrested, along with fellow Poughkeepsie residents Justin Forbes, 21, Nasir Garcia, 18, and 20-year-old Sheem Jackson.
Douglas, Forbes, and Jackson were each charged with two felony counts of criminal possession of a weapon and three more felony criminal possession of a weapon charges for having high-capacity magazines. Douglas was also charged with criminal possession of cannabis and aggravated unlicensed operation.
Garcia was charged with seven felony counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
All four men were arraigned in the Town of Poughkeepsie Justice Court and remanded to the Dutchess County Jail.
Bail was set as follows:
- Jackson $100,000 cash, $250,000 bond, or $500,000 partially-secured bond.
- Forbes $50,000 cash, $100,000 bond, or $250,000 partially-secured bond.
- Garcia $50,000 cash, $100,000 bond, or $250,000 partially-secured bond.
- Douglas $25,000 cash, $50,000 bond, or $250,000 partially-secured bond.
In the March incident, Jackson was in a vehicle traveling on the Taconic State Parkway when it was stopped by state police for traffic violations. Troopers saw drugs in plain view and searched the occupants and the vehicle. They seized more than eight grams of fentanyl, and Jackson, the rear-seat passenger, was found in possession of a loaded handgun that had been reported stolen from Connecticut.
Tillson resident Elijah Dunn, 18, and Kingston resident Jazzon Foster, 18, were each charged with felony criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and felony criminal possession of a narcotic drug.
Jackson was charged with:
- Felony criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell.
- Felony criminal possession of a weapon.
- Felony criminal possession of a narcotic drug.
- Felony criminal possession of stolen property; firearm.
- Felony criminal possession of a firearm.
The defendants were arraigned in the Town of Fishkill Court. Foster and Dunn were released on their own recognizance and Jackson was remanded to the Dutchess County Jail in lieu of $15,000 cash bail, $30,000 bond, or a $140,000 partially-secured bond.
Jackson is due in the Town of Poughkeepsie Justice Court for a preliminary hearing on Wednesday, May 20 and the next appearance in the East Fishkill case is scheduled for May 27.
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