Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announces that Dorian D. Jones, 20, of Buffalo, was sentenced Wednesday afternoon before Erie County Court Judge Kenneth Case. He received a determinate sentence of 5 years in prison followed by 5 years of post-release supervision.
On Thursday, January 9, 2025, at approximately 6:00 p.m., the defendant displayed what appeared to be a handgun and forcibly stole a vehicle from the adult victim and his two children. The crime occurred on Cheltenham Drive in the City of Buffalo. The victim, a police officer with the Niagara Falls Police Department who was off duty at the time of the incident, fired shots at the defendant during the carjacking. The defendant fled while one juvenile victim was inside of the vehicle. The defendant was located by police a short distance away on Delaware Avenue. He was taken by ambulance to ECMC where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The child was found unharmed in the same area.
Jones pleaded guilty to two counts of Robbery in the Second Degree (Class “C” violent felonies) and one count of Menacing in the Second Degree (Class “A” misdemeanor). The defendant pleaded guilty to the highest sustainable charges on April 9, 2025.
Jones committed the robbery while pending sentence after pleading guilty to charges in three separate incidents involving stolen vehicles. On October 30, 2024, the defendant pleaded guilty before Erie County Court Judge Kenneth Case to one count of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fourth Degree (Class “E” felony) and two counts of Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle in the Third Degree (Class “A” misdemeanors). Jones, who was scheduled to be sentenced on Monday, January 27, 2025, was released under supervision after the plea.
After the carjacking incident, our office filed a motion pursuant to Criminal Procedure Law 510.10(4)(t) to request that the Court revoke his bail on the stolen vehicle cases and hold the defendant without bail for allegedly committing a felony involving harm to an identifiable person or property while he was released pending sentence on a felony charge. On January 13, 2025, Judge Case revoked his release under supervision and the defendant was held without bail.
DA Keane commends Detective Joe Bonner and the Buffalo Police Department for their work in these investigations.
The robbery case was prosecuted by Chief Ashley M. Morgan of the Major Crimes Bureau. The stolen vehicle-related cases were prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Milton D. Gordon of the Raise the Age/Motor Vehicle Theft and Insurance Fraud Unit.