Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 26-year-old Mario S. Crawford of Buffalo was sentenced this morning before Erie County Court Judge Suzanne Maxwell Barnes to a determinate sentence of 5 ½ years in prison followed by 5 years of post-release supervision.

On December 4, 2020, at approximately 1:11 a.m., the defendant attempted to flee in a vehicle as police arrived to investigate a report of “shots fired” in the area of Olympic Avenue and Dorris Avenue in the City of Buffalo. The defendant subsequently crashed into a patrol vehicle and forced another patrol vehicle to swerve to avoid a second collision. After crashing into a utility pole on Kensington Avenue, the defendant ran from the vehicle, but was taken into custody after a brief chase. While placing the defendant under arrest, officers found a bag containing approximately 400 methamphetamine pills on the ground. During a search of the defendant’s vehicle, officers found a loaded illegal pistol under the driver’s seat.

The defendant was initially arraigned in Buffalo City Court and released on bail. When the defendant failed to appear in court to be arraigned on the indictment, a warrant was issued for his arrest.

On September 24, 2021, at approximately 12:12 a.m., the defendant was the passenger of a vehicle that was stopped by Buffalo Police on Tonawanda and Amherst Streets. Officers found a loaded illegal handgun underneath the passenger’s seat. The defendant was arrested on the indictment warrant and charged for possession of the illegal weapon.

The defendant pleaded guilty to charges in both cases, including the highest count in the indictment against him, on December 22, 2021. Crawford pleaded guilty to one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree (Class “A-II” felony) and one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (Class “C” violent felony) in the first case. Today, he received a determinate sentence of 3 ½ years in prison followed by 5 years of post-release supervision. He pleaded guilty to one count of Attempted Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (Class “D” violent felony) in the second case. He received a determinate sentence of 2 years in prison followed by 3 years of post-release supervision, which will run consecutive to his sentence in the initial case.

DA Flynn commends Officers Joseph Ledwin and Edward Byrd of the Buffalo Police Department for their work in these investigations.  

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney James W. Mansour, II of the Narcotics Unit.