Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 38-year-old Terence A. Williams, Jr., also known as Marcus Smith, Paris Williams and Terrence Williams, of Buffalo pleaded guilty this morning to one count of Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fourth Degree (Class “D” felony). The defendant pleaded guilty to a lesser included offense on the morning jury selection was scheduled to begin in his upcoming trial.

On January 15, 2020, at approximately 4:18 p.m., the defendant was the rear passenger of a vehicle when Buffalo Police officers initiated a traffic stop on Maryland Street and 7^th Street in the City of Buffalo for heavily tinted windows. The smell of marijuana prompted a search of the vehicle. Officers found more than ½ an ounce of crack cocaine, packaged into individual plastic bags, inside of a backpack on the rear floor of the vehicle where the defendant was seated. The defendant was linked to the packaged narcotics through DNA analysis.

Williams faces a maximum of 4 1/2 years in prison when he is sentenced as a second felony offender before Erie County Court Judge James Bargnesi on Monday, April 11, 2022 at 9:30 a.m. He remains released on his own recognizance.

DA Flynn commends Officers Richard Hy, Justin Tedesco, Andrew Whiteford and Charles Miller of the Buffalo Police Department for their work in the investigation as well as the New York State Police for their assistance.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Ryan M. Flaherty and Milton D. Gordon of the Felony Trials Bureau.