(WNY News Now) – Buffalo – A tragic pedestrian fatality in Buffalo’s Elmwood Village has led to the indictment of a Buffalo man accused of falsifying DMV documents.
Mohammed R. Tanbir, 27, of Buffalo, was arraigned in Erie County Court on charges of criminal possession of a forged instrument and offering a false instrument for filing, following an investigation into a fatal vehicle-pedestrian collision. Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announced the indictment, which stems from an incident on July 15, 2023, where Tanbir allegedly struck and fatally injured 21-year-old Sydney C. Lohr on Elmwood Avenue.
According to authorities, Tanbir was operating a vehicle with illegally tinted windows at the time of the collision. Further investigation revealed that he had submitted falsified documents to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles between 2020 and 2022. These documents, allegedly forged to include a doctor’s signature, claimed a medical exemption allowing Tanbir to install window tints.
Tanbir faces six felony charges—three counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree and three counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree. If convicted, he could face up to seven years in prison.
The defendant, currently released on his own recognizance, is due back in court on September 26, 2024, for a pre-trial conference. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Brian P. Dassero, with commendations to Criminal Investigator Bob Bebak for his work in the investigation.
As with all accused, Tanbir is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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