LOCKPORT — Niagara County District Attorney Brian D. Seaman announced that Nicholas D’Angelo was arraigned this afternoon in County Court on an indictment charging him with Identity Theft in the 1st Degree (4 counts), Forgery in the 2nd Degree (2 counts), Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the 2nd Degree (2 counts), Making a Campaign Contribution in Other than the True Name of Contributor (2counts), and Attempted Tampering with Public Records in the First Degree (2 counts).
D’Angelo was arraigned and released on his own recognizance by Supreme Court Justice Debra Givens who scheduled a pre-trial conference for June 23rd. The indictment was the result of an investigation conducted by the New York State Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and United States Postal Inspection Service.
According to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, In the fall of 2016, D’Angelo met the first victim through an online dating website and picked her up at her residence for an arranged date. The defendant drove to an unknown location in the City of Niagara Falls where he forcibly engaged in sexual conduct with the victim inside of his parked vehicle.
On October 26, 2018, the defendant subjected a second victim to sexual contact by forcible compulsion at his law office in the City of Lockport.
Between August 2019 and October 2019, the defendant engaged in sexual conduct and sexual intercourse with a third victim on his boat at a marina in Niagara County. Between September 2019 and October 2019, the defendant engaged in sexual conduct and sexual intercourse with the same victim at inside of his vehicle in the City of Niagara Falls. At the time of both crimes, the defendant, being older than 21 years of age, engaged in sexual intercourse and sexual conduct with the victim who was less than 17-years-old.
The defendant was indicted by a Niagara County Grand Jury. The Erie County District Attorney’s Office was appointed as a special prosecutor after the Niagara County District Attorney’s Office recused themselves from the case.
As part of the plea, D’Angelo agreed to surrender his license to practice law and will not re-apply for a law license in the future. He will be required to register as a sex offender.
D’Angelo is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday, July 6, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. He remains released on his own recognizance with travel restrictions.
District Attorney Flynn commends retired Detective Brian Schell of the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police for their work in these investigations.
The case was prosecuted by Chief Lynette M. Reda of the Special Victims/Domestic Violence Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Daniel J. Mattle of the Appeals Bureau.
A charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
