Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Flaherty, Jr. announces that 29-year-old Isaiah Cormack of Buffalo has been sentenced to 13 ½ years in prison and five years post-release supervision by Erie County Court Judge Thomas P. Franczyk.

In April, Cormack was found guilty of Assault in the First Degree in a non-jury trial before Judge Franczyk.

On November 15, 2014, Cormack confronted 26-year-old Brendan Crawford of Buffalo about an affair with his wife at house party on Orange Street and shot him in the stomach.  The bullet ripped through Crawford’s abdomen, came out, went through his elbow and went into a wall. Crawford underwent four surgeries and was hospitalized for more than a month.

Cormack fled after the shooting and was arrested a week later after a police chase that ended when the defendant drove his car into a pond in Cheektowaga.

Acting DA Flaherty commends Buffalo Police Homicide Detectives Christopher Sterlace and Salvatore Valvo (retired), Buffalo Police Officer Isaac Johnson, Cheektowaga Police Officer Brian Bzibziak and especially Confidential Criminal Investigators Joseph Catanzaro and Michael Nigrelli in the DA’s Office whose extensive efforts helped to secure uncooperative witnesses in the case.

Assistant District Attorneys Justin T. Wallens and Meghan E. Leydecker prosecuted the case.