Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 30-year-old John R. Luper, III of Buffalo pleaded guilty before Buffalo City Court Judge Debra Givens to one count of Assault in the Third Degree, a Class “A” misdemeanor.

On December 1, 2019, at approximately 3:25 p.m., Luper was working in the kitchen of a restaurant on the 1100 block of Elmwood Avenue in the City of Buffalo when he engaged in a verbal argument with the owner. The defendant stabbed the victim once in the torso with a chef knife.

The victim was taken to ECMC to be treated for the stab wound. He has since recovered from the injury.

The defendant was sentenced to a conditional discharge. Luper was also ordered to stay away from the victim and his places of business.

DA Flynn commends Detectives William Moretti and Lon Folts of the Buffalo Police Department for their work in the investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Nathanael C. Kapperman of the DA’s Felony Trials Bureau.