Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announces that 34-year-old Michael T. Sawyer of Buffalo pleaded guilty yesterday morning before State Supreme Court Justice Deborah A. Haendiges to all 13 counts in the indictment against him:
- One count of Assault in the First Degree (Class “B” violent felony)
- One count of Attempted Robbery in the First Degree (Class “C” violent felony)
- One count of Robbery in the Second Degree (Class “C” violent felony)
- One count of Strangulation in the Second Degree (Class “D” felony)
- One count of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree (Class “E” felony)
- One count of Assault in the Third Degree (Class “A” misdemeanor)
- Two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Class “A” misdemeanors)
- One count of Tampering with a Witness in the Fourth Degree (Class “A” misdemeanor)
- Four counts of Criminal Contempt in the Second Degree (Class “A” misdemeanors)
On Tuesday, April 5, 2022, at approximately 5:15 p.m., the defendant attempted to forcibly steal a purse from an elderly female victim outside of a grocery store on Harlem Road near Kensington Avenue in the Town of Cheektowaga. The defendant, while driving a stolen vehicle, grabbed the handles of the bag as the victim held onto her purse. The victim was subsequently dragged by the moving vehicle and fell to the ground, which resulted in serious physical injuries.
An unoccupied, stolen vehicle that matched the description of the suspect vehicle was later found parked on Miller Avenue near Broadway in the City of Buffalo. When the defendant was confronted by police as he walked toward the stolen vehicle, he attempted to run to evade arrest. He was taken into custody after a brief chase. The defendant was arraigned in Cheektowaga Town Court and held on $200,000 bail.
The victim, a woman from Snyder who was 80-years-old at the time of the incident, was taken to ECMC where she was hospitalized for several weeks for head trauma and other serious physical injuries.
In a separate incident, on Friday, April 1, 2022, at approximately 10:36 p.m., the defendant punched and slapped a woman multiple times during an argument inside of a home in the City of Buffalo. The defendant strangled the victim with his hands to the point of unconsciousness and threw her to the floor during the assault. The victim suffered a concussion and bruising to various parts of her body.
After the attack, the defendant took the victim’s cell phone, which prevented her from calling for help. The defendant also took the victim’s keys and stole her vehicle. The victim’s vehicle was used to commit the attempted robbery outside of the grocery store. The defendant was charged in the domestic violence case and arraigned in Buffalo City Court Court on April 7, 2022.
Sawyer faces a maximum of 15 years in prison when he is sentenced as a second violent felony offender on Wednesday, June 5, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. He remains held without bail.
A temporary order of protection issued on behalf of the victim and her children remains in effect.
Acting DA Keane commends the Cheektowaga Police Department and the Buffalo Police Department for their work in these investigations.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Meredith M. Mohun of the Special Victims/Domestic Violence Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Kevin R. Brown of the Felony Trials Bureau.
If you or someone you know is a victim or may be at-risk of domestic violence, help is available through the BE SAFE Domestic Violence Victim Advocacy Program. While our staff specialize in trauma-informed support and victim advocacy following the arrest of an offender, you do not need to have a pending criminal case to speak with an advocate and access services. For more information on BE SAFE, call 716-858-4630 or visit www.erie.gov/besafe.
