Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita, III announced that 54 year-old Norris Beasley, Jr. of 121 Parkridge Road, Buffalo, was convicted, as charged, after a jury trial of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree before County Court Judge Thomas P. Franczyk.

Beasley’s conviction stems from the December 28, 2011 arrest where he was found in possession of a 357 Magnum revolver on Depew Avenue in the City of Buffalo.  Buffalo Police saw Beasley riding a bicycle down Depew Avenue at 11:30 PM and determined that he fit the description of a suspect involved in recent burglaries in the area.  The officers saw Beasley throw the revolver onto a front yard of a nearby house after they asked to speak with him.

Anthony L. Pendergrass, Beasley’s defense attorney, claimed the officers were racists and only stopped Beasley because he was a black man. The accusation was completely unsubstantiated by the evidence.  The jury quickly returned with a guilty verdict, deliberating for less than one hour.

Beasley faces a maximum prison term of 15 years when he is sentenced before the Honorable Thomas P. Franczyk on April 2, 2013 at 9:30 a.m.  The case was tried by Assistant District Attorney John P. Gerken, Jr.