Councilwoman calls for 10-year minimum sentence for gun possession charge | The Daily Gazette SECTIONS Shares0 SCHENECTADY – A member of the City Council wants to up the state minimum for a firearm charge to 10 years as a means of thwarting gun violence in the city and beyond. Councilwoman Karen Zalewski-Wildzunas pitched the idea during Monday night’s meeting, asking colleagues to join her in drafting a resolution to the state legislature. A person convicted of a firearm charge in New York faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 3-1/2 years, with a maximum of 15 years if the person doesn’t have a prior felony conviction.