Friday, February 7

Courts

Governor Hochul Calls for Swift Justice in Robert Brooks Homicide Case
Courts

Governor Hochul Calls for Swift Justice in Robert Brooks Homicide Case

(WNY News Now) After the Onondaga County Medical Examiner declared Robert Brooks' death at Marcy Correctional Facility on December 9, 2024, to be a homicide, Governor Kathy Hochul of Albany, New York, released a statement. All New Yorkers were deeply shocked by the horrible murder of Robert Brooks. I think the legal process needs to proceed swiftly with the filing of criminal charges and the making of arrests now that the Onondaga County Medical Examiner has determined that Mr. Brooks' death was a homicide. I understand the necessity of establishing a strong prosecution to guarantee that those liable for Mr. Brooks' death are held to the highest standards of the law. The entire weight of our legal system must be applied to this abhorrent act of violence; Mr. Brooks' family should not have ...
Dunkirk Man Pleads Guilty To Trafficking Illegal Immigrants & Kidnapping, Raping Minor
Courts

Dunkirk Man Pleads Guilty To Trafficking Illegal Immigrants & Kidnapping, Raping Minor

(WNY News Now) A guy from Dunkirk faces life in prison after entering a guilty plea to charges of kidnapping and raping a juvenile, unlawfully trafficking Guatemalan migrants, and forcing them to labor for him. Buffalo, New York. Augusto Mateo Francisco, 33, of Dunkirk, New York, entered a guilty plea to two counts of forced labor and one count of transportation of a juvenile before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr., according to a statement made today by U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross. A mandatory minimum punishment of 10 years in jail, a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a fine of $250,000 are all associated with the charges. Francisco, a Guatemalan native and a lawful permanent resident, helped illegally enter the United States and transported Guatemalan migrants to the Dunk...
Ohio Truck Driver Sentenced for Firing Shots at Another Vehicle on I-90
Courts

Ohio Truck Driver Sentenced for Firing Shots at Another Vehicle on I-90

(WNY News Now) Erie County, NY District Attorney Michael J. Keane said that a truck driver from Ohio was sentenced to three years in prison for shooting multiple rounds at another vehicle while driving on Interstate 90. Judge Kenneth Case of Erie County Court sentenced Dylan J. Cottingham, 26, of Sullivan, Ohio, on Monday. Two years of post-release monitoring are part of his sentence. Around 7:30 a.m. on July 29, 2024, the occurrence took place. In the Town of Newstead, Cottingham was operating a tractor-trailer west on I-90 when he pulled up to an occupied pickup truck, displayed a revolver, and fired several bullets. The driver and two passengers of the victim's car were unharmed despite the vehicle being struck. Later, Cottingham was found by New York State Police, who also found a load...
Court Blocks Federal Funding Freeze After Lawsuit by 22 Attorneys General
Courts

Court Blocks Federal Funding Freeze After Lawsuit by 22 Attorneys General

(WNY News Now) The Trump administration's plan to freeze government grants, loans, and financial aid programs has been temporarily halted by a federal court. The decision follows a lawsuit challenging the policy filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James and a group of 22 attorneys general. NEW YORK Today, a group of 22 attorneys general, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, celebrated winning a court order that stopped the Trump administration's strategy of blocking numerous federal agency grants, loans, and other financial aid programs. After Attorney General James and the coalition filed a lawsuit to halt the program, U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island Judge John J. McConnell issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on Friday, preventing the admini...
Jamestown Man Sentenced for Narcotics Conspiracy
Courts

Jamestown Man Sentenced for Narcotics Conspiracy

(WNY News Now)BUFFALO, N.Y.—U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced that Kevin Hughes, 64, of Jamestown, NY, was sentenced to time served, or roughly 17 months, for his involvement in a drug conspiracy. The punishment was imposed by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Hughes helped co-defendant Jun Martinez with cocaine trafficking, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti. Hughes collected money from clients, vacuum-sealed and delivered drug earnings to suppliers, received drug shipments at his home, and drove Martinez around Jamestown for drug-related activities. While traveling to obtain drugs in September 2020, Hughes and Martinez were stopped by an Illinois State Police Trooper close to Frankfort, Illinois. Approximately 9,589 grams of methamphetamine, 3,157 grams of...
Three Men Sentenced for Running Fraudulent Website That Enabled Criminals to Circumvent Bank Anti-Fraud Checks
Courts

Three Men Sentenced for Running Fraudulent Website That Enabled Criminals to Circumvent Bank Anti-Fraud Checks

(WNY News Now) Three men have been convicted for operating a website that allowed scammers to get around banking security procedures and steal money.Vijayanathan Vijayasidhurshan NCAC PhotoAllum Picari's NCAA photoZa Siddeeque NCA photo According to a National Crime Agency investigation, Callum Picari, 23, of Hornchurch, Essex; Vijayasidhurshan Vijayanathan, 21 of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire; and Aza Siddeeque, 19, of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, were the operators of www.OTP.Agency. One-time passcode is what OTP stands for. In order to commit account takeover, fraud, and theft, criminals had to pay a monthly subscription fee for a service that gave them online access to personal bank accounts and other accounts. They achieved this by using social engineering to trick bank account holder...
Pfizer to Pay Nearly $60 Million to Settle Allegations of False Claims and Kickbacks
Courts

Pfizer to Pay Nearly $60 Million to Settle Allegations of False Claims and Kickbacks

(WNY News Now)BUFFALO, N.Y.—Pfizer Inc., the pharmaceutical behemoth, has agreed to pay $59.7 million to Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd., its subsidiary, to settle claims that Biohaven offered inappropriate payments to healthcare providers in violation of the False Claims Act. These payments, which were made before to Biohaven's acquisition by Pfizer in 2022, are said to have affected the prescription of Nurtec ODT, Biohaven's migraine treatment. According to U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross for the Western District of New York, patients should be aware that their doctor is writing prescriptions based on their medical expertise rather than financial inducements from pharmaceutical firms. This settlement demonstrates our resolve to hold lawbreakers accountable, irrespective of thei...
Capital Region Car Dealership Owner Convicted for Failing to Pay Over $160,000 in Taxes
Courts

Capital Region Car Dealership Owner Convicted for Failing to Pay Over $160,000 in Taxes

(WNY News Now)NEW YORKA Acting Tax Commissioner Amanda Hiller and Attorney General Letitia James announced Guy Kennedy Nicolas, owner of G&A Auto Care, Inc., was sentenced for avoiding paying more than $160,000 in sales tax that was due to the state of New York. Between 2013 and 2023, Nicolas, of Colonie, New York, and his company were found guilty of underreporting taxable sales totaling over $2 million. According to an investigation conducted by the New York State Police (NYSP), the Department of Taxation and Finance (DTF), and the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), Nicolas neglected to file yearly sales tax returns for his auto dealership for all but two of the ten years in question. The state lost out on vital funding for infrastructure, healthcare, and education as a result of ...
Buffalo Woman Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter in Fatal Emerson Neighborhood Shooting
Courts

Buffalo Woman Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter in Fatal Emerson Neighborhood Shooting

Shana A. Rowe, 40, of Buffalo, entered a guilty plea to Manslaughter in the First Degree, a Class B dangerous crime, for a fatal shooting in the city's Emerson neighborhood, according to Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane (WNY News Now).Photo by the Erie County DA's Office of Shana A. Rowe On the morning of the jury selection, Rowe pled guilty, acknowledging the accusation in full fulfillment of the indictment. On Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at around 8:45 p.m., Rowe shot and killed Shawneequa Pearson, 43, on the 100 block of Liddell Street in Buffalo, using an illegal handgun. After being taken by ambulance to ECMC, Pearson passed away from her wounds. Rowe faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in jail and is still being held without bail. On Monday, April 14, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.,...
Orchard Park Driver Sentenced for Hit-and-Run Injuring Woman and Toddler
Courts

Orchard Park Driver Sentenced for Hit-and-Run Injuring Woman and Toddler

(WNY News Now) For a hit-and-run that left a mother gravely hurt and a kid with minor injuries, a guy from Orchard Park was given a nine-month jail sentence.Wnuk, Justin A. Erie County DA's Office Photo Following a hit-and-run event, Justin A. Wnuk, 43, of Orchard Park, was given a nine-month jail sentence and had his driver's license revoked, according to Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane. Justice Debra L. Givens of the State Supreme Court presided over the sentencing. Around 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 7, 2024, the incident occurred. Wnuk hit a 69-year-old woman wheeling a stroller by the side of the road while he was traveling west on Hunters Ridge Road in Orchard Park in a sedan. Wnuk left the scene of the crash without informing the police of what had happened. In additi...