Arraignment

(WNY News Now)Buffalo, New York.Rashaun Crule, 30, of Buffalo, New York, has been charged by a federal grand jury with conspiracy to distribute narcotics and distribution of fentanyl that results in death. There is a mandatory minimum punishment of 20 years and a potential sentence of life in prison if found guilty of the allegations, which are related to the deaths of two people in February 2023.According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson, Crule allegedly gave a substance to victims M.M. and B.Y. in Amherst, New York, posing as cocaine. The material was identified by investigators as pure fentanyl. After consuming it, both victims overdosed right away, and it took several days for their bodies to be found.After the incident, Crule erased messages with one of the victims, accord...

A 29-year-old man is accused of fatally shooting a man close to Wade Avenue (WNY News Now).Buffalo After a deadly shooting in Buffalo's Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood, 29-year-old Latrice T. Purdie was charged with second-degree murder. Behaving The arraignment was held Tuesday morning in front of Buffalo City Court Judge Peter J. Savage, III, and was announced by Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane.Purdie, Latrice T. Erie County DA's Office PhotoAccording to the authorities, Purdie killed a 39-year-old man by purposefully shooting him at Wade Avenue and Holden Street on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, at around 6:00 p.m. When Buffalo Police arrived on the scene, the victim was declared dead.The criminal hearing for Purdie, who is being held without bond, is set for Friday, Novembe...

(WNY News Now) After a lengthy investigation that involved drugs, guns, and a dramatic cross-state chase, a federal grand jury indicted a Jamestown couple on several drug-related offenses.Buffalo, New York. Jensen Vazquez, 38, and Kylah Seiberg, 29, of Jamestown, New York, were charged with narcotics conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, and keeping a drug-involved premises, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. They might be sentenced to a minimum of 10 years in jail and a maximum of life in prison if found guilty.The indictment is the culmination of a sequence of actions that started in August 2024 when Vazquez gave his probation officer false information regarding his residence while he was already under federal supervised release. O...

(WNY News Now) – A Tonawanda man stands accused of murder following the fatal stabbing of a Buffalo resident.BUFFALO, NY – Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane has announced the arraignment of Adalberto J. Bermudez, Jr., also known as “Chopa,” 46, of Tonawanda. Bermudez appeared in Buffalo City Court on Sunday, charged with one count of Murder in the Second Degree, a Class A-I felony, before Judge Peter J. Savage, III.The charge stems from an incident on September 23, 2023, when Buffalo Police officers responded to an emergency call at an apartment on Isabelle Street in Buffalo’s Riverside neighborhood. Upon arrival, officers found 39-year-old Jose Barreto-Gonzalez deceased inside his residence. According to investigators, Bermudez is alleged to have intentionally stabbed ...

(WNY News Now) – A 16-year-old Buffalo youth faces serious charges after allegedly leading a violent assault that left a 15-year-old boy hospitalized with severe injuries in Buffalo’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Park.BUFFALO, NY — Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announced that a 16-year-old male from Buffalo was arraigned late Thursday on charges of Gang Assault in the First Degree, a Class “B” violent felony. The arraignment, held before Youth Part Judge Brenda Freedman, addressed allegations surrounding a brutal incident that occurred on October 29, 2024.At approximately 2:55 p.m. on the day of the incident, the defendant, reportedly with the assistance of several others, engaged in an assault on a 15-year-old boy at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park near North Parade Avenue...

(WNY News Now) – Three alleged leaders and six other suspects are charged in an organized retail theft ring accused of stealing $850,000 from T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods through an elaborate return-fraud scheme spanning 1,000 stores across nine states.HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry announced charges on Thursday, October 24, 2024, against three alleged leaders of an organized retail theft ring that authorities say manipulated return policies to generate nearly $850,000 in payouts from major retailers. The ring primarily operated in southeastern Pennsylvania, affecting over a thousand store locations across nine states.The accused leaders, Davon Whitfield, 40, of Roslyn; Naima Scott, 47, of Abington; and Zonay Griffin, 26, of Philadelphia, along with six ad...

(WNY News Now) – A Niagara Falls man with a criminal record, including past convictions for kidnapping and manslaughter, now faces serious federal charges related to fentanyl and firearm possession.BUFFALO, N.Y. – Derrel Austin, 46, of Niagara Falls, NY, has been arrested and charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and illegal firearm possession as a convicted felon, according to a recent announcement by U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross. If convicted, Austin faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, a maximum sentence of 40 years, and up to a $5 million fine.The criminal complaint details that Austin, previously convicted in Erie County Court for kidnapping and manslaughter in October 1995 and October 2009, came under investigation following a parole check conduct...