Three-Strike Felony Offender Convicted Of Weapons Charges

YONKERS, NY — A Westchester man's third felony conviction could mean life behind bars.

Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced that 30-year-old Noel Thomas, of Yonkers, was convicted at trial this week of second- and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

The DA says that this represents Thomas' third such conviction for a designated felony offense, making him a persistent violent felony offender. According to the law, he is required to receive an indeterminate sentence for which the maximum term is life in prison.

Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on June 27 before Westchester County Court Judge Maurice D. Williams.

"The defendant has had ample opportunity during the course of his life to find a better path." DA Cacace said. "Instead, he chose to revert to criminality time and time again. In New York, individuals who repeatedly flout the most serious criminal laws are given carceral penalties that match the severity of their conduct."

"There is no question that gun violence remains among the most persistent problems we face as a society today," she added. "We must use every tool at our disposal to protect Westchester residents from its attendant harms."

On Aug. 24, 2023, members of the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) New Rochelle Office, with assistance from the Yonkers Police Department's Gang Unit, conducted a search of Thomas' home. He had been on parole for an attempted criminal possession of a weapon conviction from 2018.

The search yielded a Taurus 9 mm semi-automatic pistol loaded with nine cartridges.