Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III announced that23 year-old Akeem Wallace of 249 Lasalle Avenue, Buffalo, was found guilty as charged of Criminal Possession of a Weapon Second Degree after a bench trial before State Supreme Court Judge Christopher Burns. This was the highest charge for which the defendant could have been convicted.

The testimony at trial established that Wallace, a manager at the McDonalds located at 262 Grider Street in Buffalo, brought a loaded, operable, and unlicensed handgun to work on June 9, 2013. While socializing in the dining room, the illegal handgun discharged, causing customers to flee and resulting in a gunshot wound to Wallace’s leg.

At trial, Wallace claimed he brought the gun to work because of recent robberies at the restaurant. Testimony from the McDonald’s employees contradicted that untruthful testimony. Wallace also gave a different version when questioned by police; there, he claimed he possessed an illegal handgun because he was shot outside at a bus stop by some unknown person, generally described as wearing a mask, red sneakers, attired head-to-toe in an black-and-white horizontally striped clothing, and running away with a bag full of burgers.   

Wallace was remanded into custody without bail, and faces up to 15 years in prison when he is sentenced on April 30, 2014 at 9:30 a.m. 

The case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Sara N. Ogden, who is assigned to DA Sedita’s Felony Trial Bureau.