Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III announced that 34 year-old Richard Newman of 31 Wrexham Court, Tonawanda, has pleaded guilty as charged to Burglary in the First Degree before Erie County Court Judge Sheila A. DiTullio. This is the highest charge for which the defendant could have been convicted had he gone to trial. In other words, the defendant was prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

On January 24, 2012 Newman forced his way inside a female victim’s Riverside home at gunpoint, struck her, and demanded money. Newman stole the victim’s wallet and fled. Buffalo Police recovered the victim’s wallet a short distance away, along with the clothing, a ski mask and pellet gun. DNA testing later linked Newman to home invasion.    

No stranger to law enforcement, Newman has previous convictions for Robbery in the Third Degree, Attempted Robbery in the Third Degree and Burglary in the Third Degree. Newman is a Second Felony Offender and faces a minimum of eight years and a maximum of twenty five years in state prison when he is sentenced on April 22, 2014 at 9:30 a.m. before Judge DiTullio. 

It should be noted that Newman’s girlfriend, Jessica Wozniak, also pleaded guilty to Attempted Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree in connection with her plan to supply suboxone to Newman while he was housed at the Erie County Correctional Facility.

The cases were successfully prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney John P. Feroleto, a member of DA Sedita’s Tactical Prosecution Unit.