(WNY News Now) – Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announced today that a 51-year-old Buffalo man has pleaded guilty to one count of Attempted Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a Class “D” violent felony.
Buffalo – Bishara Lott, Sr., a 51-year-old resident of Buffalo, pleaded guilty this morning before Erie County Court Judge James Bargnesi to the charge of Attempted Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a Class “D” violent felony. The plea follows an incident on Sunday, October 23, 2022, at approximately 8:07 a.m., when Buffalo Police executed a search at a residence on the 200 block of Florida Street in the City of Buffalo.
The search was prompted by the discovery of a threatening post on a social media platform made by a teenager residing at the same address. The post specifically involved a threat directed towards Hutchinson Central Technical High School, leading authorities to obtain a temporary Extreme Risk Protection Order. This order included a provision for a search of the premises. Upon identification of the suspect, the Buffalo Police Department swiftly secured the order and conducted the search, revealing two illegal handguns inside the residence.
The two illegal handguns were seized as evidence and subsequently submitted for testing. Two adults present in the house during the search were initially charged with possession of the illegal firearms. However, further investigation, including DNA evidence, linked Bishara Lott, Sr. to the weapons, leading to his subsequent guilty plea. As a result, the case against the adult co-defendant was dismissed.
The 16-year-old teenager, the originator of the threat, pleaded guilty to one count of Aggravated Threat of Mass Harm, classified as a Class “A” misdemeanor, before Youth Part Judge Brenda Freedman. With the consent of the District Attorney’s office, the case was transferred to Family Court for adjudication.
Bishara Lott, Sr. now faces a maximum sentence of 7 years in prison and is scheduled for sentencing on Friday, February 2, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. He remains released under supervision pending sentencing.
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