Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 29-year-old Jerome Parsons of Buffalo pleaded guilty before State Supreme Court Justice Christopher J. Burns to one count of Attempted Robbery in the Second Degree, a Class “D” violent felony, and to one count of Attempted Bribing a Witness, a Class “E” felony. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charges on the day his jury trial was set to begin on Wednesday, February 13.

On February 1, 2018, at approximately 6 p.m., the victim allowed the defendant inside his home on Westcott Street in the City of Buffalo. Once inside, the defendant, who was known to the victim, pushed the victim to the floor and began punching and kicking him in the head and torso. During the assault, the defendant stole various pieces of jewelry the victim was wearing as well as the cash from his pockets. 

Following the attack, the victim went to ECMC for stitches to close a wound above his eye.

On February 8, 2019, the defendant called the victim from jail and offered him $7,000 to not testify against him at trial. The phone call was recorded.

Parsons faces a maximum of 11 years in prison when he is sentenced on Thursday, March 14, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. He remains remanded without bail.

DA Flynn commends Officer Corey Dixon of the Buffalo Police Department for his work on the case.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney John P. Gerken, Jr. of the DA’s Tactical Prosecution Unit and Assistant District Attorney Noha A. Elnakib of the DA’s Felony Trials Bureau.