Cheektowaga resident faces up to 15 years in prison for attempted armed robbery.
In a decisive turn of events, Jaquail A. Yamani, a 30-year-old resident of Cheektowaga, admitted guilt to all charges related to an attempted armed robbery at a pawn shop. His guilty plea, entered on Tuesday afternoon before Erie County Court Judge Sheila A. DiTullio, includes the following counts:
- Two counts of Attempted Robbery in the First Degree (Class “C” violent felonies)
- One count of Attempted Assault in the First Degree (Class “C” violent felony)
- One count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (Class “C” violent felony)
- One count of Attempted Robbery in the Second Degree (Class “D” violent felony)
The incident occurred on May 1, 2023, at approximately 3:57 p.m. Yamani, armed with an illegal gun and wearing a face mask, entered a pawn shop on the 1100 block of Walden Avenue. He initially approached the victim, a store employee, under the guise of pawning a laptop and a Bluetooth speaker. As the employee examined the items, two masked accomplices entered the store.
Yamani then brandished a handgun, prompting the victim to push the weapon away and retreat into the back of the store, where he retrieved his licensed firearm. An exchange of gunfire ensued between the defendant, one of his armed accomplices, and the victim along with a co-worker, who also had a licensed firearm. The assailants fired multiple shots before fleeing the scene through the front window.
Fortunately, neither the store employees nor any customers were injured during the shootout. Later that day, Yamani sought medical attention for a gunshot wound at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania. Authorities linked him to the crime using video surveillance footage, license plate readers, and the abandoned laptop.
Despite Yamani’s arrest and subsequent confession, the identities of his two accomplices remain unknown. Yamani is currently held without bail and is scheduled for sentencing on August 9, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., where he faces a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison.
Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane praised the collaborative efforts of Lieutenant Justin Haag, Detective Kurt Spieler, Detective James Genson of the Cheektowaga Police Department, members of the New York State Police, and Detective Nico Fioravanti of the Erie Police Department in securing this conviction.
The prosecution was led by Assistant District Attorneys Ryan M. Flaherty and Nicholas Marino of the Felony Trials Bureau.
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