BUFFALO, N.Y. — An 18-year-old from Buffalo was sentenced Tuesday to a determinate sentence of two years in jail after pleading guilty in February to various charges in five separate criminal cases.
According to the Erie County District Attorney's Office, Tyshawn D. Dennis was denied youthful offender status, meaning his criminal record will not be sealed.
The first incident happened on July 8, 2019. The Erie County District Attorney's Office says Dennis stole a vehicle from Summit Avenue in the City of Buffalo around 4:30 a.m. The vehicle was unlocked and the keys were inside. Dennis pleaded guilty to one count of criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree, a class D felony.
The second incident happened on June 2, 2020. Around 12:13 a.m. Dennis smashed the front door of a liquor store on Harlem Road in Cheektowaga, and stole several bottles of alcohol. Dennis pleaded guilty to one count of burglary in the third degree, a class D felony.
The third incident happened on July 1, 2020. The Erie County District Attorney's Office says Dennis stole a minivan from an address on William Street in Buffalo. An officer saw Dennis driving the stolen vehicle two days later on Bailey Avenue, and attempted to pull him over. Dennis refused to stop and tried to flee police, but was later located with the stolen minivan on Fernhill Avenue. Dennis pleaded guilty to one count of criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, a class E felony.
The fourth incident occurred on October 6, 2020. Dennis had arranged a meeting with someone who was selling an iPhone in Amherst. They met in the parking lot of a coffee shop on Main Street near North Forest Road. The Erie County District Attorney's Office says Dennis grabbed the phone from the person's hand and proceeded to run away. Police located Dennis nearby with the stolen phone. Dennis pleaded guilty to one count of petit larceny, a class A misdemeanor.
The last incident happened on October 10, 2020. Around 10:30 a.m., Dennis stole an SUV from an address on Slate Creek Drive in Cheektowaga. Dennis pleaded guilty to one count of criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree, a class D felony.
