Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita, III announced that 16 year old Sean Austin (of 43 Emslie Street, Buffalo), 17 year old Maurice Howie, aka “Quell” (of 228 Hamburg Street, Buffalo),  19 year old Rokym Knox (of 43 Emslie Street, Buffalo), 17 year old Dequan Bailey (of 325 Hewitt Avenue, Buffalo) and 17 year Devante Wells (of 52 Bickford Avenue, Buffalo) were arraigned this morning before Supreme Court Justice Russell P. Buscaglia on an multi-count indictment detailing six different criminal incidents, allegedly committed over an approximate three-month period. It is principally alleged that this group of defendants, in varying combinations, robbed taxi drivers or pizza delivery drivers at gunpoint, culminating in the death of Mazen Abdallah on March 6, 2012. 

Austin is accused of the following crimes: two counts of Murder in the Second Degree, three counts of Robbery in the First Degree and five counts of Robbery in the Second Degree. If convicted of these crimes, Austin faces a maximum of 120 years to life in state prison.

Howie is accused of the following crimes: two counts of Murder in the Second Degree and two counts of Robbery in the First Degree. If convicted of these crimes, Howie faces a maximum of 50 years to life in state prison.

Knox is accused of the following crimes: two counts of Robbery in the Second Degree. If convicted of these charges, Knox faces a maximum of 15 years in state prison.

Bailey is accused of the following crimes: one count of Robbery in the First Degree and five counts of Robbery in the Second Degree. If convicted of these crimes, Bailey faces a maximum of 70 years in state prison.

Wells is accused of the following crimes: two counts of Robbery in the Second Degree. If convicted of these crimes, Wells faces a maximum of 15 years in state prison.

The case is assigned to Assistant District Attorney Paul A. Parisi, a member of DA Sedita’s recently formed Tactical Prosecution Unit. DA Sedita praised the investigative team, which included detectives from the “A” District, “E” District, and Homicide Squad of the Buffalo Police Department, as well as significant contributions from crime analysts at the Erie County Crime Analysis Center. DA Sedita also noted that the defendants, like all criminal defendants, are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.