Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 19-year-old Breandan Mantz of Newark, NY has been arraigned by Hamburg Town Court Justice Gerald P. Gorman on two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree and one count of Menacing in the Second Degree.

On Monday, April 16, Town of Hamburg Police officers were called to Hilbert College to investigate an allegation that a student was in possession of a weapon. A martial arts throwing star was uncovered during a search of the defendant’s on-campus dorm room.

On Thursday, April19, the defendant was arraigned in Hamburg Town Court on one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree.

During the course of the investigation, it was determined that beginning in October of 2017, the defendant allegedly made numerous threatening statements to more than one student, including a “list” of students that he planned to “make disappear.” Several students reported the threatening statements to the college’s Residence Life.

The defendant allegedly threatened one student with a knife for reporting the threatening statements to Residence Life.

On Friday, April 20, the defendant was arraigned in Hamburg Town Court on two additional charges: Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree and Menacing in the Second Degree.

Mantz is scheduled to return to Hamburg Town Court for a pre-trial conference on Friday, May 4 at 9:30 a.m. The judge imposed an order of protection for the victim.

DA Flynn commends the investigative work by the Town of Hamburg Police Department.

Assistant District Attorney Alicia M. Lilley of the DA’s Felony Trials Bureau is prosecuting the case.

As are all persons accused of a crime, the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.