First Assistant Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Flaherty, Jr. announces that 23 year-old convicted animal abuser Adell Zeigler, of 9 Hamlin Road in the City of Buffalo, pleaded guilty as charged to Robbery in Second Degree and two counts of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Third Degree, before State Supreme Justice Christopher J. Burns.  These are the highest charges for which the defendant could have been convicted had he gone to trial. In other words, Zeigler did not receive a so-called “plea bargain” and was instead prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Ziegler’s convictions stem from three separate incidents.

On September 8, 2014 at approximately 2:15 PM, in the vicinity of Canisius College, Ziegler threw a student to the ground, forcibly ripped her purse from her arm, forcibly stole her car keys from her hand and fled in her car. 

October 28, 2014, Ziegler was spotted in another stolen car by a Buffalo Police Officer. Ziegler fled, but the two other occupants were apprehended, one of whom was Sir Raven Rodgers.  Rodgers was charged with the underlying robbery and theft of the car and is scheduled for trial in December.  In pleading guilty to possessing the stolen car, Zeigler admitted that he knew that Rodgers stolen it and had assaulted the owner.

On November 29, 2014 at approximately 3:30 AM, a car was stolen at an east side gas station, while its owner was inside paying for fuel. About eight hours later, the owner/victim’s sister spotted the car, with Ziegler in the passenger seat, as it was travelling down E. Ferry Street in the City of Buffalo. She called the police and, soon thereafter, Buffalo Police officers spotted the vehicle near Ziegler’s residence. The police tracked Ziegler to a nearby house and found him inside, hiding under a bed with the stolen car keys in his pocket.

No stranger to the criminal justice system, Zeigler’s crime spree occurred just months after serving a two year sentence, earned in connection with dousing a Jack Russell terrier with lighter fluid and setting that puppy on fire. As a second felony offender, Zeigler faces up to 29 years in state prison when he is sentenced on October 27, 2015 by Justice Burns.

The case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Patrick B. Shanahan, who is assigned to the Erie County District Attorney’s Felony Trial Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Michael Drmacich, Chief of the Community Prosecution Bureau.

First Assistant DA Flaherty also commended the investigative efforts of Detective Gary Teague and Officers Paul Fitzpatrick and Jeff Banes of the Buffalo Police Department, adding: “Because of their dogged pursuit of justice, a dangerous criminal, with no regard for the rights of innocent people or the lives of defenseless animals, will be returning to state prison.”