District Attorney Frank A. Sedita, III announces that 21 year-old Martellion Ham, pleaded guilty as charged to Robbery in the First Degree and Robbery in the Second Degree before Erie County Court Justice Michael D’Amico. These are the highest charges for which the defendant could have been convicted had he gone to trial.  In other words, Ham was prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Ham’s second degree robbery conviction is in connection with a December 2, 2012 strong-arm robbery of a 17 year-old student at Buffalo Performing Art’s School.  In that case, Ham knocked the victim to the ground and forcibly stole cash from him.  Ham was promptly indicted by a grand jury.  

Ham’s 1^st degree robbery conviction is in connection with an April 2, 2014 gunpoint robbery of an unsuspecting motorist.  While free on bail for the above indicted robbery, Ham shoved a loaded pistol into the victim’s face and threatened to kill him if he did not surrender his money.  Fearful for his life, the victim complied but Ham was not satisfied.  Ham placed his loaded pistol in the victim’s mouth and forced him to strip down to his underwear as he again threatened to kill him. Out of sheer bravery, the victim knocked the gun out of his mouth and fled for his life.

Since Ham was out on bail when he committed the second robbery, he faces up to 50 years in state prison when sentenced by Judge D’Amico on June 6, 2014.

The case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Danielle Soluri, who is assigned to DA Sedita’s Felony Trials Bureau.