Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita, III announces that 20 year-old Mark Hawkins a/k/a Marcus Coleman of 14^th Street, Buffalo, pleaded guilty, as charged, to Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree before Supreme Court Judge Christopher J. Burns.  This is the highest charge for which Hawkins a/k/a Coleman could have been convicted had he gone to trial.

On November 21, 2013 Buffalo Police Officers Michael Acquino and Mark Hamilton observed Hawkins exit a corner store with a long object tucked down the length of his pants.  After Hawkins made eye contact with the officer, he abruptly turned around as if he had a prosthesis or so-called “peg leg.” The ostensible prosthesis was, in fact, a loaded and defaced Sun City Machinery pump action shotgun, which Hawkins had concealed along the length of his pants. 

 Hawkins faces a maximum term of 7 years in state prison when sentenced by Justice Burns on May 20, 2014 at 9:30 a.m. One veteran courthouse observer commented: “The defendant probably pleaded guilty because he came to realize he didn’t have a legal leg to stand on.”

The case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Lauren Nash who is assigned to DA Sedita’s Felony Trial Bureau.