Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Flaherty, Jr. announces 50-year-old Keith Winston of Porter Avenue, Buffalo has by sentenced by State Supreme Court Justice Penny M. Wolfgang to 3 ½ to 7 years in prison for using and forging signatures for credit cards stolen in three separate incidents.

In September, Winston pleaded guilty to three counts of Forgery in the 2^nd Degree.

On February 23, 2016, Winston entered Nichols School and walked off with two credit cards belonging to an employee and one credit card belonging to the school.

Winston was later caught on surveillance video swiping the credit cards at Auto Zone on Bailey Avenue and several other locations and signing the receipt for the items purchased.

Winston admitted to forging a signature while using a debit card taken from an employee at the Early Childhood Center in Buffalo and using it at two locations, including a NOCO Express and Family Dollar on April 6, 2016.

Winston also admitted to forging a signature while using a credit card which was taken from a parishioner at the North Park Lutheran Church in Buffalo on March 27, 2016.

Acting DA Flaherty commends the investigative work of Buffalo Police Department Detectives Amy Frankel, Jose Lorenzo, Pam Harris, Bart Adams, Edwin Perez, Tom Nunan and the DA’s Confidential Criminal Investigators Chuck Danzi, Mike Nigrelli, Bobby Yeates and Mark Vaughn.

Acting DA Flaherty also credits the work of Matt Wrona from the Erie County Crime Analysis Center.

Assistant District Attorneys Paul C. Parisi and Danielle E. Phillips prosecuted the case.