Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III announced three more convictions for the illegal possession of handguns.

16 year-old Samere Swindle, of Norfolk Street, Buffalo, pleaded guilty as charged to Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, before Erie County Court Judge Kenneth F. Case.  This is the highest charge for which Swindle could have been convicted had he gone to trial. On August 3, 2013 in the vicinity of Norfolk and Kensington Avenues in the City of Buffalo, Swindle was found in possession of a .32 caliber Walther PP semi-automatic pistol, loaded with four rounds of ammunition, by Buffalo Police Officers Vernon Beatty and William Small.

The case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Ryan Haggerty, who is assigned to DA Sedita’s Felony Trial Bureau.   Unless he is adjudicated as a so-called “Youthful Offender” by Judge Case, Swindle faces a minimum of 3½ years and a maximum of 15 years in state prison when sentenced on April 2, 2014 at 9:30 a.m. 

37 year-old Basheer Cross of Buffalo, New York pleaded guilty as charged to Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fourth Degree before Erie County Court Judge Kenneth F. Case.  These are the highest charges for which Cross could have been convicted had he gone to trial. On July 30, 2013 members of the Buffalo Police Department Narcotics Bureau executed a search warrant at the defendant’s former residence on Greenwood Place in the City of Buffalo.  They recovered a loaded Bersa .380 semi-automatic handgun, a magazine filled with live ammunition, and cocaine. 

The case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Mara L. McCabe who is assigned to the DA Sedita’s Felony Trial Bureau. Cross faces a maximum of 15 years in state prison when sentenced by Judge Case on March 31, 2014 at 9:30 a.m.

35 year-old Tyree Goree, of Greeley Avenue, Buffalo, pleaded guilty as charged to Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree before Erie County Court Judge Kenneth F. Case.  This is the highest charge for which Goree could have been convicted had he gone to trial. On September 4, 2013 in the vicinity of Spring Street in the City of Buffalo, Goree was shot four times by a purportedly unknown assailant. Goree was transported by ambulance to ECMC, where an unloaded .22 caliber revolver was found on his person by hospital staff. A prior felon, Goree has been non-cooperative with police efforts to identify and arrest the shooter.            

The case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Lauren Nash, who is assigned to DA Sedita’s Felony Trial Bureau. Goree is currently on parole for robbery and faces a maximum term of 7 years in state prison when sentenced by Judge Case on January 15, 2014 at 2:00 p.m.