The Erie County District Attorney’s Office says a former employee within the Erie County Clerk’s Office has pleaded guilty to one count of official misconduct, in connection with a fraudulent approval of a pistol permit.
Raymond Brinson, 32, entered the guilty plea Friday morning before Buffalo City Court Judge Gary Wilson, Jr.
According to prosecutors, the Erie County Clerk’s Office was notified by State Police in April 2025 that their Albany office received coupons for four firearms registered to an Erie County resident who did not have a documented pistol permit.
A search by Erie County Clerk employees failed to find a recorded permit, but they did find records for the resident’s application, which was denied in March 2021. Brinson entered the denial notation into their records.
According to the complaint filed against Brinson, 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, 2022. But Brinson approved and issued an unrestricted pistol permit for the resident, September 6, 2023. Brinson also approved and issued four coupons for the resident to obtain purchased firearms.
Prosecutors say upon further investigation by the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, it was determined that Brinson had communicated with the applicant in advance of issuing the pistol permit and four coupons. Brinson resigned from his position, prior to the discovery of the misconduct, in August 2024.
He is scheduled to be sentenced Friday, July 31. He could have faced up to a year in jail but Judge Wilson committed to a one-year conditional discharge.
Brinson was released on his own recognizance.