Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita, III announced that 21 year old Earl Stone of 715 Amherst Street, Buffalo, 21 year old Ted Anderson of 79 Earl Place, Buffalo and 21 year old Brandon Close of 25 Stanton Street,  Buffalo, have each pleaded guilty, as charged, to Robbery in the First Degree before County Court Judge Thomas P. Franczyk.   This is the highest charge for which the defendants could have been convicted had they gone to trial. 

Earl Stone admitted that he robbed and pistol-whipped the victim because the victim had stolen Stone’s 20-year-old girlfriend while Stone was in jail on unrelated charges.  The assault and robbery happened in front of the girlfriend’s residence on Peace Street in the City of Buffalo on March 12, 2013.

Co-defendants Ted Anderson and Brandon Close admitted that they accompanied Stone to the residence and took turns assaulting the victim and assisting in the theft of his property.  Stolen from the victim were an iPhone, diamond earrings, and $170.00 cash. 

The cases were successfully prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Michael P. Felicetta of DA Sedita’s Tactical Prosecution Unit and Jaharr S. Pridgen of the Felony Trial Bureau. Special credit is given to Buffalo Police Officers Jonathan Pietrzak and Marcus Fears.   Stone, Anderson and Close each face a maximum prison term of 5 to 25 years when they are sentenced before Judge Franczyk on January 27, 2014 at 9:30 a.m.