Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Flaherty, Jr. announces the arraignment of 50-year-old Keith Winston of Porter Avenue, Buffalo on charges of Burglary in the Third Degree, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fourth Degree, Forgery in the Second Degree, Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree and Identity Theft in the Second Degree before Buffalo City Court Judge Betty Calvo-Torres.

Winston is accused on two separate occasions of illegally entering locations with the intent to steal.

On February 23, 2016, Winston is accused of entering Nichols School and walking off with three credit cards belonging to an employee and one credit card belonging to the school.

Winston was later caught on surveillance video swiping the three credit cards at Auto Zone on Bailey Avenue and several other locations and signing the receipt for the items purchased.

On April 6, 2016, Winston is accused of unlawfully entering a child care center, taking an employee’s debit card and using it at two locations, including a NOCO Express and Family Dollar and attempted to use it at a Kwik Fill, but the card was denied.

Winston was remanded to the Erie County Holding Center.  He is scheduled for a felony hearing on Friday, April 22, 2016 at 9:30 a.m. in front of Judge Calvo-Torres.

Acting DA Flaherty commends the investigative work of Buffalo Police Department Detectives Amy Frankel, Jose Lorenzo, Pam Harris, Bart Adams, Edwin Perez, Tom Nunan and the DA’s Confidential Criminal Investigators Chuck Danzi, Mike Nigrelli, Bobby Yeates and Mark Vaughn.

Assistant District Attorneys Paul C. Parisi and Danielle E. Smith are prosecuting the case.

Winston, like all others accused of a crime, is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.