Police found a semi-automatic pistol in Titus Dawson’s bedroom

police found a semi-automatic pistol in Titus Dawson’s bedroom March 6, he initially claimed a burglar must have placed it there.That defense only went so far.
At his trial in Albany County Court this week, he took another route — that the weapon was being held for a friend to be returned to a gun buy-back program in Albany.Both Dawson, 26, and the friend are convicted drug dealers, the gun was found next to marijuana residue, as well as digital scales, $8,000 in cash and a ninth-month old newspaper article, but the defendant’s pal still took the stand and made his case.It was just not one a jury would believe .Dawson, 26, of Lark Drive, was convicted late Thursday of third-degree weapon possession, a felony carrying 3 1/2 to 7 years in prison.Police had noticed the gun while responding to a burglary alarm at Dawson’s home. When they arrived they spotted the pistol, as well as a large amount of marijuana in the bedroom.They returned and arrested Dawson after getting a search warrant. The gun and other belongings (which prosecutors say showed evidence of a homegrown marijuana operation) were discovered near a nine-month old Times Union newspaper article about gang shootings in Albany.The defense argued Dawson’s friend, a convicted crack dealer, stumbled upon the gun a day earlier while outdoors in Albany — and decided to leave it with Dawson. He said they planned to give it to the Rev. Charlie Muller of the Victory Christian Church in Albany, who runs the buy-back program.But Assistant District Attorney David Gonzalez, who prosecuted the case, noted no effort was ever made by either man to contact Muller.
“There is only so much that we can do with the legal system,” Gonzalez told jurors in closing arguments. “Use common sense.”Dawson, who has a past conviction for third-degree drug dealing, will be sentenced by acting Supreme Court Justice Dan Lamont on Dec. 11.