Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita, III announced that 25 year old Richard Whitefield of Grand Island pleaded guilty, as charged, to two counts of felony Criminal Mischief and two counts of Making Graffiti before County Court Judge Sheila A. DiTullio.  These are the highest charges for which Whitefield could have been convicted had he gone to trial.

Whitefield admitted he used the graffiti tag “BCUZ” in vandalizing a City owned retaining wall near the Peace Bridge and the State owned pedestrian bridge over the Scajaquada Expressway near Nottingham Terrace.  In addition to the felony admissions, Whitefield also acknowledged using the same tag on numerous other public and privately owned properties throughout the City.  He was arrested last week following an investigation by Buffalo Police Department Detective Mark Constantino.  Sedita praised the investigation of Detective Constantino and observed how difficult it is to prosecute graffiti vandals who anonymously commit their crimes under the cover of darkness and are rarely caught in the act.

Whitefield will be sentenced on April 22, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. before Judge DiTullio when he faces a maximum prison sentence of 1-1/3 to 4 years in prison for each felony count.