Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita, III announced that 40 year-old Dennis Triplett, a/k/a “Nanny”, pleaded guilty as charged to three counts of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, three counts of Assault in the First Degree, and one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree before State Supreme Court Judge Penny Wolfgang. These were the highest charges in the indictment and the highest charges for which the defendant could have been convicted at trial. In other words, Triplett did not receive a so-called “plea bargain” and was instead prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Tripplet’s convictions are in connection with the October 26, 2013 shootings of Charles Washington, Brandon Washington, and Jovonna Davis. Triplett procured an unlicensed semi-automatic pistol for his brother, Ricky Grace, a/k/a “Kooter”. On Triplett’s signal, Grace opened fire on the victims with that pistol. When Triplett saw that victim Charles Washington had survived the initial hail of bullets, he went over to Washington and told him “don’t worry, you’re going to be alright.”

Triplett, however, had no intention of offering any assistance the bullet-riddled Washington. Rather, he hoisted Washington up off the pavement where he lay, and called out to Grace to “finish” Washington off, as “he ain’t dead yet.” Grace walked up to Washington and fired a bullet into the back of his skull. Triplett then entered his S.U.V. with Grace, and drove away, leaving the three victims for dead. Miraculously, all three victims survived, albeit with serious and debilitating injuries.

On October 8, 2014, an Erie County trial jury convicted Ricky Grace of three counts of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, three counts of Assault in the First Degree, three counts of Criminal Use of a Firearm in the First Degree, and one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon for his role in these heinous crimes.

The defendants’ efforts to wreak havoc upon society and permanently silence others did not end with these incredibly violent crimes. Due to his needed testimony at a pre-trial hearing, the identity of a prosecution witness was revealed to the defense. An “associate” of the defendants threatened to kill that very witness if he did not recant his testimony, and even supplied the witness with a prepared affidavit recanting his prior testimony.

Shockingly, Triplett is no stranger to the criminal justice system, having a previous conviction for Grand Larceny in 2009. He remains in custody and faces up to 75 years in state prison when sentenced before Judge Wolfgang as a second felony offender on January 2, 2015, at 9:30 a.m.

The case was successfully tried by Assistant District Attorney Paul Parisi, who is assigned to DA Sedita’s Tactical Prosecution Unit, and Assistant District Attorney Ryan Haggerty, who is assigned to DA Sedita’s Special Victims Bureau.