Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 33-year-old Jahquil Peterson of Rochester was sentenced this afternoon before State Supreme Court Justice Debra Givens to 7 years in prison followed by 5 years of post-release supervision. He was sentenced today as a second violent felony offender.
On Saturday, April 24, 2021, at approximately 12:15 a.m., Buffalo Police responded to a 911 call after the complainant reported witnessing a male point a gun at a female before both entered a vehicle. Officers initiated a traffic stop after locating the vehicle and its occupants on West Chippewa Street near Washington Street in the City of Buffalo, which matched the descriptions provided by the 911 caller.
During the stop, officers saw a handgun in between the driver’s seat and the center console of the vehicle. The loaded, illegal handgun was submitted into evidence. The defendant, who was sitting in the rear passenger seat, was linked to the gun through DNA analysis.
A jury found Peterson guilty of one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (Class “C” violent felony). Jurors rendered their decision after approximately 3 hours of deliberation following a two-day trial in July 2023, convicting the defendant of the only charge in the indictment against him.
DA Flynn commends the Buffalo Police Department for their work in this investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Taylor A. Gillespie and Daniel J. Morris of the Felony Trials Bureau.
