Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 29-year-old Keith Garcia of Buffalo was sentenced this morning before Erie County Court Judge Sheila A. DiTullio to a determinate sentence of 10 years in prison followed by 5 years of post-release supervision. He was sentenced today as a second violent felony offender.

On June 15, 2019, a woman overdosed inside of the defendant’s apartment on Chenango Street on the city’s West Side. A neighbor called 911. The defendant refused to allow responding fire and emergency personnel to enter his apartment by locking the door. When police arrived and broke down the door to gain entry, the defendant fought with first responders. The female victim survived after Narcan was administered. Investigators found a quantity of fentanyl, drug paraphernalia and packing material in the apartment.

On April 13, 2020, a front desk employee called 911 after receiving information that a guest was in possession of a gun. Buffalo Police responded and found a loaded illegal pistol and two ounces of cocaine inside of the defendant’s room at a hotel on Pearl Street in the City of Buffalo. The defendant fled the hotel before he could be apprehended.

On April 30, 2020, police recovered an unloaded illegal pistol and two ounces of fentanyl during a parole search at the defendant’s residence on Hampshire Avenue in the City of Buffalo. 

Garcia pleaded guilty to the highest charges in each case against him on February 28, 2022: one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree (Class “B” felony) in the initial case, one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (Class “C” violent felony) in the second case, and one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree in the third case.

DA Flynn commends Detective Michelle Palamera, Detective Bart Adams and Officer Michael Maritato of the Buffalo Police Department as well as New York State parole officers Sean McPartland and Zach Hall for their work in these investigations.

The cases were prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney James W. Mansour, II of the Narcotics Unit.