John P. Feroleto was named Deputy District Attorney – Litigation, as part of District Attorney John J. Flynn’s leadership team, in November 2023.
Prior to his appointment as Deputy District Attorney, Mr. Feroleto served as the first Chief of the Major Crimes Bureau, a prosecution division established by District Attorney John Flynn in July 2020 to address an increase in non-fatal shootings and other gang-related crime predominantly occurring within the City of Buffalo. As many gun violence-related cases involve reluctant victims and witnesses, the most experienced prosecutors with demonstrated proficiency in securing testimonial evidence are assigned to the Major Crimes Bureau. As the bureau chief, Feroleto was a member of the Erie County Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, working closely in collaboration with the Buffalo Police Department, Erie County Sheriff's Office, local police departments, federal law enforcement agencies and Erie County Central Police Services to review shooting incidents and monitor escalating gang violence.
Deptuy DA Feroleto joined the Erie County District Attorney’s Office in February 2008. Over the course of his career as a prosecutor, he has served in many of the office’s divisions with most of his tenure in the Homicide, Major Crimes (formerly known as Tactical Prosecution) and Felony Trials bureaus. He has demonstrated skill as a trial attorney in Erie County Superior Courts who specializes in investigating complex criminal cases. Prior to his appointment to lead the Major Crimes Bureau, Feroleto served as a chief of the Felony Trials Bureau where he provided training to Assistant District Attorneys in all phases of a felony criminal case, including initial intake, case reviews, prosecution strategies, discovery and trial preparation.
Over the last 15 years, Deputy DA Feroleto has successfully prosecuted hundreds of violent crimes and several high-profile homicides cases with more than forty cases presented at jury trial. He was part of the team of Assistant District Attorneys assigned to investigate and prosecute the case of People v. Payton Gendron, the Broome County teenager who pleaded guilty to the intentional murder of ten victims and the attempted murder of three victims who were injured in a racially-motivated mass shooting at Tops Friendly Markets on Jefferson Avenue in the City of Buffalo. Gendron, who pleaded guilty to the highest counts in the indictment, was the first person to be convicted of New York State Penal Law 490.28; Domestic Act of Terrorism Motivated by Hate in the First Degree, which carries mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole.
Deputy DA Feroleto is a native of Buffalo who attended high school at St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science of from the University of Rochester and his Master of Business Administration degree from the University at Buffalo. He obtained his Juris Doctor Degree from University at Buffalo School of Law.
Deputy DA Feroleto is a member and the former director of the Western New York Trial Lawyers Association. He has served as a legal ethics lecturer for our office, New York Prosecutor’s Training Institute and the Western New York Trials Lawyers Association. In 2023, Mr. Feroleto was the recipient of two noteworthy awards – “Prosecutor of the Year – Trial Advocacy Award” from the New York Prosecutor’s Training Institute and the “Foundation Achievement Award” from the Erie County Law Enforcement Foundation.