A Main Street woman is accused of grabbing a $20 bill out of the hand of a customer about 6:30 p.m. Sunday in the Future Wireless store, 2608 Main St. Careama Smith, 25, is charged with third-degree felony robbery.
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Woman accused of money grab is charged with felony robbery
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Lackawanna man accused of evading police faces several charges
A Lackawanna man who took off when police stopped him for questioning in the 2300 block of South Park Ave. faces several charges, including marijuana possession, police said.
Thomas Smith, 20, of Warsaw Street also was charged with resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration. He was caught after a brief foot chase, police said.
Thomas Smith, 20, of Warsaw Street also was charged with resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration. He was caught after a brief foot chase, police said.
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Buffalo housing police cruiser crashes into building during chase.
A Buffalo Police housing unit patrol car crashed into a hairstyling salon at 65 Grant St. during the chase of a man who was arrested about 8:45 p.m. Monday.
No one was injured in the crash. Further information was unavailable late Monday.
No one was injured in the crash. Further information was unavailable late Monday.
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Bicyclist in critical condition after fall into creek
A kayaking family, along with two passersby, helped rescue an 18-year-old Town of Tonawanda man who fell from his bicycle and was found lying face-down and unconscious in the shallows of Ellicott Creek off Old Niagara Falls Boulevard on Monday evening, Amherst police said.
The victim, Matthew Hovagimian of Raintree Island, was listed in critical condition this morning in Erie County Medical Center, authorities said.
Following a preliminary investigation, police believe the man may have suffered from some kind of medical condition that led to his falling off his mountain bike on a bike path near the creek.
A kayaking family out for a paddle on a gorgeous night spotted Hovagimian at about 7:45 p.m. Monday. Family members pulled the young man from the creek to shore and called for help. One passing bicyclist and a motorcyclist heard the calls, and someone in the group began administering CPR.
Emergency personnel from the Ellicott Creek Fire Co. and Twin City Ambulance responded to the scene.
Hovagimian had no identification on him at the time of the accident and was initially considered a John Doe. He was revived at the scene, taken to DeGraff Memorial Hospital in North Tonawanda and then transferred to ECMC.
Authorities don’t know how long the man was in the water.
“Judging by his condition, I would guess it wasn’t more than a few minutes,” Amherst Police Capt. Enzio G. Villalta said. “He couldn’t have been in the water for an extended period of time, because they were able to revive him.”
Amherst Police are asking anyone with information about the mishap to call them at 689-1311.
The victim, Matthew Hovagimian of Raintree Island, was listed in critical condition this morning in Erie County Medical Center, authorities said.
Following a preliminary investigation, police believe the man may have suffered from some kind of medical condition that led to his falling off his mountain bike on a bike path near the creek.
A kayaking family out for a paddle on a gorgeous night spotted Hovagimian at about 7:45 p.m. Monday. Family members pulled the young man from the creek to shore and called for help. One passing bicyclist and a motorcyclist heard the calls, and someone in the group began administering CPR.
Emergency personnel from the Ellicott Creek Fire Co. and Twin City Ambulance responded to the scene.
Hovagimian had no identification on him at the time of the accident and was initially considered a John Doe. He was revived at the scene, taken to DeGraff Memorial Hospital in North Tonawanda and then transferred to ECMC.
Authorities don’t know how long the man was in the water.
“Judging by his condition, I would guess it wasn’t more than a few minutes,” Amherst Police Capt. Enzio G. Villalta said. “He couldn’t have been in the water for an extended period of time, because they were able to revive him.”
Amherst Police are asking anyone with information about the mishap to call them at 689-1311.
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Police again respond to bottle bomb explosions
If it is an adolescent prank, authorities say it is starting to get old.
For the fourth time in recent months, Buffalo police have responded to explosions involving bottle bombs.
The latest incident occurred just before 12:30 p.m. Monday when two bottle bombs detonated in the parking lot of the Dollar General store at Bailey and Westminster avenues.
No injuries or damage were reported, according to police spokesman Michael J. DeGeorge.
And again, police are asking the public for assistance in trying to catch the culprits, who police believe are teenage vandals.
Two weeks ago, a juvenile was arrested for throwing a bottle bomb at a store on Comstock Avenue in the Bailey-Kensington neighborhood.
On April 29, city police and Canisius College public safety officers investigated an incident on Meech Street where a bottle bomb exploded but did not cause any damage. On April 14, two such explosive devices on Hughes Avenue reportedly caused property damage to a house.
“We take these incidents very seriously, and if in fact they are being done by kids who think these are pranks, it could be a very serious situation resulting in criminal charges,” Buffalo Police Commissioner Daniel Derenda said Monday.
Authorities have said that anyone who comes upon the devices should stay clear of them and call 911 immediately. Those who might have leads are asked to call or text the police confidential TIPCALL Line at 847-2255 or e-mail the department at www.bpdny.org.
email: lmichel@buffnews.com
For the fourth time in recent months, Buffalo police have responded to explosions involving bottle bombs.
The latest incident occurred just before 12:30 p.m. Monday when two bottle bombs detonated in the parking lot of the Dollar General store at Bailey and Westminster avenues.
No injuries or damage were reported, according to police spokesman Michael J. DeGeorge.
And again, police are asking the public for assistance in trying to catch the culprits, who police believe are teenage vandals.
Two weeks ago, a juvenile was arrested for throwing a bottle bomb at a store on Comstock Avenue in the Bailey-Kensington neighborhood.
On April 29, city police and Canisius College public safety officers investigated an incident on Meech Street where a bottle bomb exploded but did not cause any damage. On April 14, two such explosive devices on Hughes Avenue reportedly caused property damage to a house.
“We take these incidents very seriously, and if in fact they are being done by kids who think these are pranks, it could be a very serious situation resulting in criminal charges,” Buffalo Police Commissioner Daniel Derenda said Monday.
Authorities have said that anyone who comes upon the devices should stay clear of them and call 911 immediately. Those who might have leads are asked to call or text the police confidential TIPCALL Line at 847-2255 or e-mail the department at www.bpdny.org.
email: lmichel@buffnews.com
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Lockport man mugged near Allentown bar
A Lockport man was beaten by five men near Main and Allen streets early Sunday.
The 37-year-old victim told Buffalo police he was chased and then kicked and beaten by his attackers at about 3 a.m.
The police report noted that the attack happened near a bar on Allen, but no further details were provided by a police spokesman on Sunday night.
The attackers took the victim’s wallet and boots.
The victim was treated in Erie County Medical Center for facial lacerations, bruising and swelling, according to the report.
The 37-year-old victim told Buffalo police he was chased and then kicked and beaten by his attackers at about 3 a.m.
The police report noted that the attack happened near a bar on Allen, but no further details were provided by a police spokesman on Sunday night.
The attackers took the victim’s wallet and boots.
The victim was treated in Erie County Medical Center for facial lacerations, bruising and swelling, according to the report.
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Man tackled with gun in Niagara Street bar
A Buffalo man faces several charges after police were called to a Niagara Street bar early Sunday for the report of a man with a gun.
Jose R. Santos, 30, of Hinman Avenue, was arrested at about 2:30 a.m. inside Klub Karaoke, 2081 Niagara, according to a Buffalo police report.
When Santos was approached by police inside the bar, he started pulling out the gun, according to the report. He was subsequently tackled by officers. The .38-caliber revolver, which was loaded, was stolen in November 2000, said police, who added that a folded-up dollar bill with cocaine in it was found in Santos’ pocket.
Santos was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of stolen property and criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Jose R. Santos, 30, of Hinman Avenue, was arrested at about 2:30 a.m. inside Klub Karaoke, 2081 Niagara, according to a Buffalo police report.
When Santos was approached by police inside the bar, he started pulling out the gun, according to the report. He was subsequently tackled by officers. The .38-caliber revolver, which was loaded, was stolen in November 2000, said police, who added that a folded-up dollar bill with cocaine in it was found in Santos’ pocket.
Santos was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of stolen property and criminal possession of a controlled substance.
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South District police use evictions to deal with criminals
With each eviction in his sprawling South District, Buffalo Police Chief Patrick M. Pascall sends home the same message:
“Change your behavior or change your address.”
Since 2011 more than 150 problem tenants have been evicted from their residences in the district after repeatedly disrupting their neighborhoods with drug sales, illegal weapons, loud music, frequent parties and excessive fights.
Streets including Duerstein, Geary, Hopkins and Seneca show multiple evictions, as do Woodside, Parkview and South Park avenues. Mineral Springs and Willet roads each have three evictions; Potters Road has two. Indian Church Road and Red Jacket Parkway each have one.
“Evictions are one of the best community police tools available for quality-of-life issues,” said City Court Judge Patrick Carney, who took over housing court duties in January 2011. “You want to wear criminals down. You want to make it as difficult as possible for drug dealers to conduct their business. You make them move enough times, maybe they will stop.”
Or maybe they will flee the city.
Christopher “Brooklyn” Marks lived on Duerstein Street before he was evicted the first time in December 2011. He was then tossed from residences on Abbott Road, South Park, Como Avenue and Geary Street over the next 14 months. Along the way, Marks was arrested 17 times on narcotics-related and harassment charges, according to Pascall.
“He’s the perfect example of a nuisance,” said the South District chief.
Today Marks lives in Lackawanna.
The eviction of criminals is a critical part of the community policing initiatives that Pascall brought to the South District when he became chief in 2010. The South District – bounded on the west by Lake Erie, on the east by Lackawanna and West Seneca, on the north by William Street – extends as far south as the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens.
Pascall initially focused on problem addresses, those that showed repeat complaints for quality-of-life issues that can ruin neighborhood integrity. By enforcing a century-old state statute originally enacted to shut down brothels – the Bawdy House Law – he pressured landlords to evict those tenants involved in illegal activities.
If the landlords failed to take action, the statute provides for a $5,000 fine.
“We used it as leverage,” Pascall said. “We called in the landlords and presented our case. I realized we had to go after the criminals where they lived because one bad tenant can ruin the whole street.”
Pascall’s initiatives appeared to be working, reported the Erie Crime Analysis Center, after it compared South District crime statistics from April 2009 to March 2010 with those from April 2012 to March 2013:
• Vehicle thefts dropped 42.6 percent – from 211 to 121
• Robberies fell by 13 percent – from 115 to 100
• Burglaries decreased 9.4 percent – from 512 to 464
• Assaults dropped 6 percent– from 182 to 171
The incidence of rapes in the South District, meanwhile, increased from 16 to 18. There were no homicides in the district from April 2012 to March 2013. In 2009-10 there were four.
“The biggest impact has been on Seneca Street,” Pascall said. “It was really bad when I first started, with larcenies, burglaries, problem properties. There were pockets of problems. Now there are not as many people hanging on corners.”
A narcotics raid on Hammerschmidt Avenue in April resulted in the arrest of a 40-year-old man, said police.
“The suspect was selling hallucinogenic mushrooms,” said Officer Anthony LeBron, who works the South District community police beat with Officer David Fay. “He had a grow farm in his apartment. He was putting the mushrooms in candy molds and covering them with chocolate; that’s how he was selling them.”
LeBron identified the suspect as Robert L. Wilson. Wilson, police said, was also charged with criminal possession of a loaded AK-47. Wilson’s apartment on Hammerschmidt was blocks away from School 93, Southside Elementary.
According to LeBron, when a police raid nets narcotics or weapons, the tenant could face eviction within 72 hours. Notice to evict usually requires 30 calendar days.
Wilson was sent packing within days of his arrest, LeBron reported.
“I’m not picking on the landlords because there are a lot of good ones, but you end up with these absentee landlords who aren’t even in the state of New York maintaining tenants who are creating havoc or holding the neighborhood hostage,” LeBron said. “I can’t, in good conscience, allow someone to make money off of that at the expense of everyone else on that block. That’s not how it should be.”
Ronald B. Reczek is the third generation in his family to live in the house his grandfather bought in Kaisertown nearly a century ago. Reczek, who retired from General Motors after working 42 years, was raised on Weiss Street and returned there to live in 2008 after the death of his father.
Weiss – running from Dingens Street, crossing Clinton and Casimir Street – was not the street he remembered as a child.
“The street was a nightmare. Two doors down, we had a derelict house – one of the worst houses in Kaisertown in my estimation. Beer bottles and crack bags littered the lawn. People were coming and going at all hours,” said Reczek. “When the block goes bad, residents are in a bind. They either sell or clean up.”
Reczek did better. He Googled “block club” and then called his councilman.
“I’ve never done anything like this in my life, but I did whatever I thought I could do,” said Reczek, who is 69. “It’s been a real headache, almost tortuous. This isn’t the easiest world to live in, and block clubs can be very tricky. The thing with this neighborhood is, it’s hard to get people together because of their multinational nature.”
Two evictions and 50 police reports later, Weiss Street is back on track.
The block club Reczek formed in August 2011 exists today with a dozen core members each paying $1 a month for dues.
“We’re not cops. We’re not soldiers. But the drug houses are gone, and no one bad has moved in,” Reczek said.
Linda Freidenberg, president of the Board of Block Clubs of Buffalo and Erie County, has helped scores of city block clubs get off the ground, including many in South Buffalo.
“South Buffalo is like a different world than the rest of the city,” Freidenberg said. “We don’t let them mess with the block clubs in South Buffalo. The older people are still holding it together, but we need some young blood in our block clubs. We must get the younger people to care about the neighborhood like we do.”
John T. Poniewierski, 64, presides over the Kaisertown Coalition, a block club organized in 1999 that meets in the Peter Machnica Center on Clinton.
Poniewierski, retired from Bethlehem Steel Co., recalled working at Sattler’s department store on Broadway.
“I saw that neighborhood go down, and I don’t want it to happen here,” he said. “It’s easier to keep a neighborhood than try to take it back.”
“I know exactly what’s going on in the district,” said Pascall. “I log it, and categorize it by address or crime type. It lets people know what is going on in their area with the exceptions of domestic violence and rapes.”
Pascal also tracks evictions, marking each with a red dot on a computer map of his district. He said that most of the time landlords don’t even know about the Bawdy House Law.
“Ninety-nine percent of the time it works. We tell them to evict the problem tenant or face a $5,000 fine in Housing Court,” said Pascall.
email: jkwiatkowski@buffnews.com
“Change your behavior or change your address.”
Since 2011 more than 150 problem tenants have been evicted from their residences in the district after repeatedly disrupting their neighborhoods with drug sales, illegal weapons, loud music, frequent parties and excessive fights.
Streets including Duerstein, Geary, Hopkins and Seneca show multiple evictions, as do Woodside, Parkview and South Park avenues. Mineral Springs and Willet roads each have three evictions; Potters Road has two. Indian Church Road and Red Jacket Parkway each have one.
“Evictions are one of the best community police tools available for quality-of-life issues,” said City Court Judge Patrick Carney, who took over housing court duties in January 2011. “You want to wear criminals down. You want to make it as difficult as possible for drug dealers to conduct their business. You make them move enough times, maybe they will stop.”
Or maybe they will flee the city.
Christopher “Brooklyn” Marks lived on Duerstein Street before he was evicted the first time in December 2011. He was then tossed from residences on Abbott Road, South Park, Como Avenue and Geary Street over the next 14 months. Along the way, Marks was arrested 17 times on narcotics-related and harassment charges, according to Pascall.
“He’s the perfect example of a nuisance,” said the South District chief.
Today Marks lives in Lackawanna.
The eviction of criminals is a critical part of the community policing initiatives that Pascall brought to the South District when he became chief in 2010. The South District – bounded on the west by Lake Erie, on the east by Lackawanna and West Seneca, on the north by William Street – extends as far south as the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens.
Pascall initially focused on problem addresses, those that showed repeat complaints for quality-of-life issues that can ruin neighborhood integrity. By enforcing a century-old state statute originally enacted to shut down brothels – the Bawdy House Law – he pressured landlords to evict those tenants involved in illegal activities.
If the landlords failed to take action, the statute provides for a $5,000 fine.
“We used it as leverage,” Pascall said. “We called in the landlords and presented our case. I realized we had to go after the criminals where they lived because one bad tenant can ruin the whole street.”
Pascall’s initiatives appeared to be working, reported the Erie Crime Analysis Center, after it compared South District crime statistics from April 2009 to March 2010 with those from April 2012 to March 2013:
• Vehicle thefts dropped 42.6 percent – from 211 to 121
• Robberies fell by 13 percent – from 115 to 100
• Burglaries decreased 9.4 percent – from 512 to 464
• Assaults dropped 6 percent– from 182 to 171
The incidence of rapes in the South District, meanwhile, increased from 16 to 18. There were no homicides in the district from April 2012 to March 2013. In 2009-10 there were four.
“The biggest impact has been on Seneca Street,” Pascall said. “It was really bad when I first started, with larcenies, burglaries, problem properties. There were pockets of problems. Now there are not as many people hanging on corners.”
A narcotics raid on Hammerschmidt Avenue in April resulted in the arrest of a 40-year-old man, said police.
“The suspect was selling hallucinogenic mushrooms,” said Officer Anthony LeBron, who works the South District community police beat with Officer David Fay. “He had a grow farm in his apartment. He was putting the mushrooms in candy molds and covering them with chocolate; that’s how he was selling them.”
LeBron identified the suspect as Robert L. Wilson. Wilson, police said, was also charged with criminal possession of a loaded AK-47. Wilson’s apartment on Hammerschmidt was blocks away from School 93, Southside Elementary.
According to LeBron, when a police raid nets narcotics or weapons, the tenant could face eviction within 72 hours. Notice to evict usually requires 30 calendar days.
Wilson was sent packing within days of his arrest, LeBron reported.
“I’m not picking on the landlords because there are a lot of good ones, but you end up with these absentee landlords who aren’t even in the state of New York maintaining tenants who are creating havoc or holding the neighborhood hostage,” LeBron said. “I can’t, in good conscience, allow someone to make money off of that at the expense of everyone else on that block. That’s not how it should be.”
Ronald B. Reczek is the third generation in his family to live in the house his grandfather bought in Kaisertown nearly a century ago. Reczek, who retired from General Motors after working 42 years, was raised on Weiss Street and returned there to live in 2008 after the death of his father.
Weiss – running from Dingens Street, crossing Clinton and Casimir Street – was not the street he remembered as a child.
“The street was a nightmare. Two doors down, we had a derelict house – one of the worst houses in Kaisertown in my estimation. Beer bottles and crack bags littered the lawn. People were coming and going at all hours,” said Reczek. “When the block goes bad, residents are in a bind. They either sell or clean up.”
Reczek did better. He Googled “block club” and then called his councilman.
“I’ve never done anything like this in my life, but I did whatever I thought I could do,” said Reczek, who is 69. “It’s been a real headache, almost tortuous. This isn’t the easiest world to live in, and block clubs can be very tricky. The thing with this neighborhood is, it’s hard to get people together because of their multinational nature.”
Two evictions and 50 police reports later, Weiss Street is back on track.
The block club Reczek formed in August 2011 exists today with a dozen core members each paying $1 a month for dues.
“We’re not cops. We’re not soldiers. But the drug houses are gone, and no one bad has moved in,” Reczek said.
Linda Freidenberg, president of the Board of Block Clubs of Buffalo and Erie County, has helped scores of city block clubs get off the ground, including many in South Buffalo.
“South Buffalo is like a different world than the rest of the city,” Freidenberg said. “We don’t let them mess with the block clubs in South Buffalo. The older people are still holding it together, but we need some young blood in our block clubs. We must get the younger people to care about the neighborhood like we do.”
John T. Poniewierski, 64, presides over the Kaisertown Coalition, a block club organized in 1999 that meets in the Peter Machnica Center on Clinton.
Poniewierski, retired from Bethlehem Steel Co., recalled working at Sattler’s department store on Broadway.
“I saw that neighborhood go down, and I don’t want it to happen here,” he said. “It’s easier to keep a neighborhood than try to take it back.”
“I know exactly what’s going on in the district,” said Pascall. “I log it, and categorize it by address or crime type. It lets people know what is going on in their area with the exceptions of domestic violence and rapes.”
Pascal also tracks evictions, marking each with a red dot on a computer map of his district. He said that most of the time landlords don’t even know about the Bawdy House Law.
“Ninety-nine percent of the time it works. We tell them to evict the problem tenant or face a $5,000 fine in Housing Court,” said Pascall.
email: jkwiatkowski@buffnews.com
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Swimmer pulled from Niagara River near Maid of the Mist dock
NIAGARA FALLS – A swimmer was pulled from the Niagara River late this afternoon after New York State Parks police investigated reports of swimmers between the American Falls and the Maid of the Mist dock.
The male swimmer was spotted about 4:30 p.m. and is being questioned. A search for other possible swimmers was continuing.
The male swimmer was spotted about 4:30 p.m. and is being questioned. A search for other possible swimmers was continuing.
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Police arrest suspect in attack early today on Grider Street
A Northampton Street arrested on third-degree assault and harassment charges is accused of hitting a woman in the face during an argument on Grider Street near Northland Avenue about 2:20 a.m. Tuesday.
The suspect was identified as Jamal Thompson, 23. The victim, police said, refused medical treatment.
The suspect was identified as Jamal Thompson, 23. The victim, police said, refused medical treatment.
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Man stopped by police didn’t want to stick around
A West Avenue man was charged with obstruction after he attempted to run off after police stopped to question him at Lawrence Place and Massachusetts Avenue about 11 p.m. Sunday, police said.
Carlos Rodriguez, 19, also was charged with two counts of harassment and resisting arrest for shoving officers and verbally abusing them, police added.
Carlos Rodriguez, 19, also was charged with two counts of harassment and resisting arrest for shoving officers and verbally abusing them, police added.
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Two accused of attacking pregnant woman in bid to steal bus pass
A man and a woman arrested by NFTA police officers on Main near Riley streets are accused of attacking a pregnant Buffalo woman about 8:35 p.m. Monday.
Cleve Croft, 54, of Madison Street and Amanda Weslowski, 27 of Depew were both charged with third-degree assault and harassment. Police said the two attempted to steal a bus pass from the victim. Weslowski also was charged with criminal impersonation for allegedly giving NFTA police officers a false name.
Cleve Croft, 54, of Madison Street and Amanda Weslowski, 27 of Depew were both charged with third-degree assault and harassment. Police said the two attempted to steal a bus pass from the victim. Weslowski also was charged with criminal impersonation for allegedly giving NFTA police officers a false name.
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Two sentenced to time behind bars in separate robberies
LOCKPORT – Two men who pleaded guilty in separate robberies were imprisoned Tuesday by Niagara County Judge Matthew J. Murphy III.
James A. Connell, 36, of Bellreng Drive, Town of Niagara, drew seven years in prison for stealing about $55 from a clerk at a 7-Eleven store on Hyde Park Boulevard in Niagara Falls June 30. Connell was armed with a knife. He pleaded guilty to a reduced charges of attempted first-degree robbery.
Raco N. Black, 45, of Whitney Avenue, Niagara Falls, was sentenced to a year in the Niagara County Jail for attempted second-degree robbery. Black and Carl R. Adams, 43, of Niagara Street in the Falls, stole $60 from a man near a gas station on 19th Street in that city July 15. Adams pleaded guilty to the same charge as Black and is awaiting sentencing.
James A. Connell, 36, of Bellreng Drive, Town of Niagara, drew seven years in prison for stealing about $55 from a clerk at a 7-Eleven store on Hyde Park Boulevard in Niagara Falls June 30. Connell was armed with a knife. He pleaded guilty to a reduced charges of attempted first-degree robbery.
Raco N. Black, 45, of Whitney Avenue, Niagara Falls, was sentenced to a year in the Niagara County Jail for attempted second-degree robbery. Black and Carl R. Adams, 43, of Niagara Street in the Falls, stole $60 from a man near a gas station on 19th Street in that city July 15. Adams pleaded guilty to the same charge as Black and is awaiting sentencing.
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Two men plead guilty in Lockport drug cases
LOCKPORT – Two men who sold drugs to police informants pleaded guilty in separate Lockport cases Tuesday before State Supreme Court Justice Richard C. Kloch Sr.
DeAndre M. Mathews, 22, of North Avenue, Niagara Falls, and Anthony J. Bennett, 27, of Ashley Place, Lockport, each admitted to fifth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. Kloch set sentencing Aug. 15 for Mathews and Aug. 13 for Bennett.
Mathews was charged with selling crack cocaine Nov. 30 and Dec. 5. Mathews, a first-time felon, risks a sentence of up to 2½ years.
Bennett admitted selling drugs July 23. He is a repeat felon and faces a maximum of four years in prison.
DeAndre M. Mathews, 22, of North Avenue, Niagara Falls, and Anthony J. Bennett, 27, of Ashley Place, Lockport, each admitted to fifth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. Kloch set sentencing Aug. 15 for Mathews and Aug. 13 for Bennett.
Mathews was charged with selling crack cocaine Nov. 30 and Dec. 5. Mathews, a first-time felon, risks a sentence of up to 2½ years.
Bennett admitted selling drugs July 23. He is a repeat felon and faces a maximum of four years in prison.
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Suspect struggles with police after alleged attack on girl
A 19th Street man arrested on assault and other charges allegedly punched a 14-year-old girl in the face on Grant Street about 8:30 p.m. Monday.
Brian Partlow Jr., 20, charged with child endangerment, also was charged with resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration for fighting with arresting officers, police said.
Brian Partlow Jr., 20, charged with child endangerment, also was charged with resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration for fighting with arresting officers, police said.
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$67,301 restitution ordered in food stamp fraud case
A Buffalo man has been ordered to pay $67,301 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Agriculture after being convicted of food stamp fraud, U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul said Tuesday.
U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara also sentenced Karem Almadrahi, 25, to eight months of home confinement and three years probation.
Prosecutors said Almadrahi helped operate Zip’s Food & Beverage, a Niagara Street deli, where he and others gave customers cash for their food stamps for about two years in violation of the rules of the food stamp program.
U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara also sentenced Karem Almadrahi, 25, to eight months of home confinement and three years probation.
Prosecutors said Almadrahi helped operate Zip’s Food & Beverage, a Niagara Street deli, where he and others gave customers cash for their food stamps for about two years in violation of the rules of the food stamp program.
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Two arrested and a third being sought in mugging
Two 16-year-olds were arrested and a third suspect is being sought in the mugging of a Wescott Street man at Seneca and Babcock streets about 3 a.m. Tuesday.
The boys were charged with each third-degree assault and harassment. Police said the victim was punched and kicked repeatedly until officers arrived.
The boys were charged with each third-degree assault and harassment. Police said the victim was punched and kicked repeatedly until officers arrived.
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Lancaster police capture two horses on the loose
Two horses were corraled at Walden Pond Park early Tuesday afternoon by Lancaster Police Officers Brian Firestone and Chris Keppner.
Police were alerted to the report of the two horses running loose along Peppermint Road. The horses were captured without incident and returned to their owner, who was not identified.
Police were alerted to the report of the two horses running loose along Peppermint Road. The horses were captured without incident and returned to their owner, who was not identified.
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Lancaster man accused of terrorizing Buffalo woman
A Lancaster man was arrested Tuesday after terrorizing a woman in her Buffalo home, police said.
Michael Stroka, 25, is charged with criminal mischief, petit larceny and disorderly conduct. He was arrested at 2 a.m.
Police siad the victim sought safety in her bathroom after Stroka became threatening and verbally abusive, broke her cell and land-line phones and took her car keys.
Michael Stroka, 25, is charged with criminal mischief, petit larceny and disorderly conduct. He was arrested at 2 a.m.
Police siad the victim sought safety in her bathroom after Stroka became threatening and verbally abusive, broke her cell and land-line phones and took her car keys.
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Two charged with beating Buffalo man with a cane
Two Pembina Street residents were charged with assault and other counts for allegedly following a Baitz Avenue man to his house and beating him with a cane about 7 p.m. Monday.
Yermula Vega, 36, and a 17-year-old girl were charged each with third-degree assault, harassment and trespass.
Yermula Vega, 36, and a 17-year-old girl were charged each with third-degree assault, harassment and trespass.
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