A Cape Vincent man who posted a YouTube video of himself shooting guns pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court, Syracuse, to a charge that he knowingly possessed a firearm after having been convicted of a felony.

Gilbert A. Murphy, 45, of 3163 Huff Road, admitted that he possessed five firearms. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine at sentencing Dec. 14.

According to court documents, the U.S. Border Patrol conducted an investigation in 2011 that showed Mr. Murphy appearing in several online videos, including one in which he is firing a 9 mm assault rifle.

A second man who appeared in the videos with Mr. Murphy allegedly told investigators that Mr. Murphy kept the assault rifle and other guns at his residence, court documents state. Based on the information, a search warrant was executed March 13 at his residence and numerous weapons were seized, including the weapons he was seen firing in the YouTube video.

Under federal law, convicted felons are prohibited from possessing firearms. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Murphy was convicted in 1994 in California for the felony crime of discharging a firearm in a grossly negligent manner. In 1996, he was convicted of felony burglary charges in Pennsylvania.

In addition to the Border Patrol, the case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Mr. Murphy was ordered held in U.S. Marshal’s custody pending sentencing.

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