Jury Convicts Lifetime Criminal of Robbery and Weapons Charges

Modified: May 16, 2013 1:34pm

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4/26/2013

Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III announced that 50 year old Jessie Medley of Walden Avenue, Buffalo, was convicted, as charged, of Robbery in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree before County Court Judge Michael D’Amico after a week-long jury trial.

On June 25, 2012 Medley robbed a woman at knifepoint behind the Hotel Lafayette in downtown Buffalo. After threatening her life, he ransacked her purse and stole some of her personal belongings, including a ring that had been given to her as a gift from her young son. Medley fled to the nearby Greyhound bus station and boarded an NFTA bus as concerned citizens came to the victim’s rescue. Alzo Kennedy, the bus operator, became suspicious of Medley and pulled the bus over. Mr. Kennedy’s keen presence of mind enabled Buffalo and NFTA police officers to quickly apprehend Medley.

Medley is a lifetime criminal, having been arrested on 64 occasions since the 1970s. Medley has 54 convictions, including convictions for 3 different armed robberies. Thus, the District Attorney’s Office will seek that Medley be sentenced to the maximum of 25 years to life in prison as a persistent violent felony offender when he is sentenced before Judge D’Amico on May 23, 2013 at 9:30 a.m. 

The case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Sara N. Ogden. DA Sedita also praised the bravery of the civilian witnesses, as well as the professionalism of the NFTA and Buffalo Police officers, stating: “Because of their combined efforts, a lifetime societal menace has been brought to justice. Hopefully, Mr. Medley’s upcoming sentence will satisfactorily complete his apparent urge to serve life in prison on the installment plan.”