Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 30-year-old Michael Gandy, also known as “Papoose,” of Buffalo has been sentenced by State Supreme Court Justice Russell P. Buscaglia to a determinate sentence of 8 years in prison followed by 5 years of post-release supervision.

On February 25, 2019, at approximately 3:30 a.m., the victim, while working as taxi driver, picked up the defendant who requested a ride from a store on Walden Avenue near Harmonia Street to the Langfield Apartments. After a few minutes, the defendant, who was in the backseat of the vehicle, began hitting the victim in the head with a handgun. Gandy threatened to shoot the victim if he did not give money to the defendant. 

A struggle ensued as the victim wrestled the gun from Gandy and a shot was subsequently fired inside the vehicle. When the victim was able to get the gun, the defendant exited the taxi and ran down Moselle Street.

The victim called police who recovered the illegal weapon. The taxi driver was taken to ECMC by ambulance to be treated for multiple lacerations to his head. 

Gandy pleaded guilty to one count of Attempted Robbery in the First Degree and one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, both Class “C” violent felonies, on the day his non-jury trial was set to begin in December 2019.

DA Flynn commends the Buffalo Police Department for their work in this investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Brian D. Langenfeld of the DA’s Tactical Prosecution Unit and Assistant District Attorney Ryan Flaherty of the DA’s Felony Trials Bureau.