Nathaniel Hollins of Dunkirk has been sentenced to a 15-year term in state prison following a conviction of gun possession. Hollins has twice been arrested for gun incidents in the past. P-J photo by Gregory Bacon

MAYVILLE – A Dunkirk man who has a history of gun violence is headed to state prison.

Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt announced that 34-year-old Nathaniel Hollins, has been sentenced by the Honorable David W. Foley to a 15-year term in state prison after being convicted of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon by a Chautauqua County Jury. This sentence is the maximum allowed under the law.

Hollins will also be subject to five years of post-release supervision. He was sentenced as a violent predicate felon for having more than one violent felony conviction within a certain time period.

Hollins was arrested in July 2019 for a shooting in Jamestown. No injuries were received in that incident but it was reported that Hollins shot and hit a vehicle. For that incident he pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal contempt and was sentenced to one and a half to three years in prison.

Hollins was also arrested in Dunkirk in October, 2013 after an individual was shot in the leg.

On Nov. 8, 2023, the Dunkirk Police Department acted upon a tip provided to them by their federal partners and apprehended Hollins in the vicinity of Webster Street in the city. An FBI agent working in conjunction with Dunkirk Police officers found a loaded handgun near the place Hollins was apprehended.

DNA analysis was performed by the New York State Police Crime Laboratory in Albany, and was crucial in establishing that Hollins possessed the loaded handgun the day of the arrest.

A trial took place earlier this year with the verdict being handed down on June 11. The case was prosecuted by lead attorney Second Assistant District Attorney Erik Bentley, Second Chair Assistant District Attorney Andrew Hall, and paralegal Abigail Zatorski.

Officials noted this verdict was the result of tireless effort of collaboration between all law enforcement agencies and the District Attorney’s Office.

At Thursday’s sentencing, Bentley addressed the court and reviewed Hollins’ extensive criminal involvement over the past two decades. Bentley subsequently advocated for Hollins to receive the maximum allowable sentence under the law.

Bentley expressed that “taking 15 years of someone’s life is a terrible thing,” but “the safety of the community demands my [his] advocacy” for the maximum sentence.

Schmidt echoed those sentiments. “It is a terrible thing to take 15 years away from someone. We carry that with us every day, and we take it to heart in everything we do. Right now, more than ever with the level of gun violence our community is experiencing, we have to be vigilant.”

Schmidt went on to say that it is important that the community maintain confidence that its police and District Attorney’s Office are doing everything they can to keep the public safe.

Schmidt credits Bentley, Hall, Zatorski and the Dunkirk Police Department for their vigilance, dedication, and hard work on this case.

Dunkirk Chief of Police Christopher Witkowski said, “I want to thank our patrol officers, detectives, crime scene investigators, range officers, and the FBI for their outstanding work on this case. I also want to thank the District Attorney’s Office for their diligent efforts in securing the guilty verdict and the sentence he received. Our officers take great pride in their work, and their professionalism was clearly reflected in the outcome of this case. This verdict is a testament to the strong collaboration between the Dunkirk Police Department, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, and the District Attorney’s Office, and the shared commitment to keeping our community safe.”