Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita, III announced that 22 year old Melvin Virgil and 29 year old Khaled Yaghi will be arraigned at 9:30 this morning before County Court Judge Sheila A. DiTullio on an indictment charging them both with Attempted Kidnapping in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. 

It is alleged that on December 19, 2012, Virgil and Yaghi displayed a loaded sawed-off shotgun and attempted to abduct a 53 year old Buffalo resident as she walked to her parked car on Richfield Avenue.   The victim started the panic alarm on her vehicle and the defendants fled, but were quickly apprehended by Buffalo Police Officers Sean McCabe and Regina Weeks. 

This case has been assigned to ADA Michael Felicetta, a member of the Erie County District Attorney’s recently formed Tactical Prosecution Unit. If convicted of these crimes, Virgil and Yaghi each face a maximum prison sentence of 30 years. Both defendants also face parole revocation proceedings.