Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 20-year-old Michael Monti of Buffalo was sentenced this morning by Erie County Court Judge Kenneth F. Case to a determinate sentence of 5 years in prison.

The defendant admitted to stabbing a man in the abdomen while at the South Buffalo Irish Festival in Cazenovia Park on the evening of September 7, 2019. The victim underwent multiple surgeries to repair the damage inflicted by the defendant.

Monti pleaded guilty, as charged, to Assault in the First Degree, a Class “B” violent felony, on October 28, 2020.

The defendant pleaded guilty to one count of Assault in the Third Degree, a Class “A” misdemeanor, in a separate incident for assaulting another person with a knife. On January 15, 2020, the defendant was involved in a physical altercation with another individual at a house party in the Town of Lancaster. The defendant brandished a knife during the fight and the victim suffered a cut, but no serious injury. Judge Case sentenced Monti this morning to one year in jail, which the defendant will serve concurrently with his prison sentence.

DA Flynn commends A District Detectives Margaret Serafini and Lauren McDermott of the Buffalo Police Department for their work in the investigation as well as the Lancaster Police Department for their work in the other case.  

The cases were prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Matthew S. Szalkowski and Assistant District Attorney Nathanael C. Kapperman of the DA’s Special Victims Bureau.