Niagara Co. District Attorney Brian Seaman

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Niagara Co. District Attorney Brian Seaman Brian Seaman is the District Attorney for Niagara County.

10/14/2026

PRESS RELEASE:

October 14, 2026


LOCKPORT, NY: Niagara County District Attorney Brian D. Seaman announced that an indictment was unsealed in Niagara County Court charging Christopher J. Colon, age 49, of Niagara Falls, with Murder in the 2nd Degree and Concealment of a Human Co**se. Colon is charged with murdering 38 year old Michelle L. Destefano and concealing her body in a shallow grave behind an abandoned house in Niagara Falls. Destafano’s remains were discovered by police in June of this year.

The charges are the result of an investigation by the Niagara Falls Police Department. Colon was arraigned by County Court Judge Caroline Wojtaszek and remanded to the custody of the Sheriff pending trial.

A charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

10/05/2026

PRESS RELEASE:

October 5, 2026


LOCKPORT, NY: Niagara County District Attorney Brian D. Seaman announced that Michael P. Ambrosia, age 46, of Niagara Falls, was sentenced by County Court Judge John Ottaviano to serve 15 years in state prison, to be followed by 20 years of post-release supervision. The defendant previously plead guilty to the crime of Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child in the First Degree.

Seaman stated: “The victim in this case will carry the trauma caused by the defendant through life. That the defendant will spend the next decade and a half in prison will hopefully provide some consolation.”

The case was investigated by the Niagara Falls Police Department and prosecuted by Special Victims Unit Bureau Chief Heather Nicholson and Assistant District Attorney Liesel Marcantonio.

09/21/2026

PRESS RELEASE:

LOCKPORT, NY: Niagara County District Attorney Brian D. Seaman announced that 66 year old William L. Smith, of Niagara Falls, pled guilty this morning to the Crime of Murder in the Second Degree. Smith admitted to beating 79 year old Valerie M. Maye to death in their shared apartment in July of 2025. The plea was entered as jury selection was about to begin. Smith faces between 20 and 23 years to life in prison when he returns to court to be sentenced on December 11th by Acting Supreme Court Justice Mario Giacobbe.

Seaman stated: “The crimes committed against Valerie Maye by this defendant comprise one of the most heinous cases of domestic violence and elder abuse that I have seen as a prosecutor. The sentence to be imposed should ensure that this defendant will never get out of prison.”

The case was investigated by the Niagara Falls Police Department and prosecuted by First Assistant District Attorney Doreen Hoffmann and Executive Assistant District Attorney Maria Stoelting.

09/17/2026

PRESS RELEASE:


LOCKPORT, NY: Niagara County District Attorney Brian D. Seaman announced that Luke E. Smeal, age 24, of Lockport, was sentenced this afternoon to 25 years in prison, followed by 20 years of post-release supervision, for his conviction of s*xual assault against a minor. Smeal had previously plead guilty to the crime of R**e in the First Degree.

Seaman stated: “The horrible crime committed by this defendant against a child warrants the lengthy sentence in this case.”

The sentence, which is the maximum allowed, was imposed by County Court by Judge Caroline Wojtaszek. The case was investigated by the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Rob Zucco and Derek Hafner.

09/15/2026

PRESS RELEASE:

LOCKPORT, NY: Niagara County District Attorney Brian D. Seaman announced that 32 year old Demitrius R. Cole of Niagara Falls has plead guilty to a series of s*x crimes involving 3 separate victims committed in Niagara Falls in 2023. Cole entered guilty pleas to one count of Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree, one count of R**e in the First Degree, and one count of Attempted Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree. He faces a sentence of between 22 and 28 years in prison, followed by a post-release supervision period of up to 25 years.

Seaman stated: “The guilty plea in this case ensures that an extremely dangerous s*xual predator is removed from society for a very long time. The plea additionally spares the victims from having to re-live their trauma in court. We will be asking the judge to impose the maximum sentence with the maximum post-release supervision period, as justice for the victims, and for the protection of the community.”

The cases were investigated by the Niagara Falls Police Department and prosecuted by Special Victims Unit Bureau Chief Heather Nicholson and Grand Jury Bureau Chief David DeChellis. Sentence will be imposed on December 18th by Erie County Judge Jessica Kulpit who was assigned to conduct the trial in this case.

09/11/2026

PRESS RELEASE:

September 11, 2026

LOCKPORT, NY: Niagara County District Attorney Brian D. Seaman announced that Thomas H. Summers, Jr., age 53 of Newfane, was sentenced to a term of 2 to 6 years in prison for his conviction of Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree. Summers had previously admitted to driving his truck while impaired by the combined influence of co***ne, methamphetamine, and oxycodone, causing a crash that took the life of his passenger, 48 year old Rodolfo Espinoza, on Lockport Junction Road in the Town of Lockport on July 16, 2025.

The sentence was imposed by Acting Supreme Court Justice Mario Giacobbe. The case was investigated by the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Vehicular Crimes Bureau Chief Christine Savoia and Assistant District Attorney Nichole Tarbell.

08/17/2026

PRESS RELEASE:

August 17, 2026

LOCKPORT, NY: Niagara County District Attorney Brian D. Seaman announced that Quayshawn J. Doctor, age 32 of the Town of Lockport, was sentenced to spend the next 7 ½ to 15 years in prison for a series of fraud convictions. Doctor previously entered guilty pleas to the crimes of Identity Theft in the First Degree, Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fourth Degree.

The defendant obtained bank account and personal information for a number of Niagara County residents which was encoded on debit cards appearing to be authentic. Those cards were then used to purchase goods and services from a number of retailers.

Seaman stated: “in recent years we have seen a proliferation of fraud crimes in an on-line environment that is increasingly anonymous. We are not always able to link this type of crime to a particular individual, but in this case we were able to. The sentence in this case fits the calculated nature of the crimes and the defendant’s persistent criminal conduct.”

Doctor, who has three previous felony convictions, was given consecutive sentences by County Court Judge Caroline Wojtaszek. The case was investigated by the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police and prosecuted by Special Investigations Bureau Chief Susan Bjornholm and Assistant District Attorney Amber Poulos.

08/17/2026

PRESS RELEASE:

August 13, 2026

LOCKPORT, NY: Niagara County District Attorney Brian D. Seaman announced that two defendants entered guilty pleas this week in unrelated vehicular assault cases happening on the same day in June of last year.

​Ashley M. Metro, age 45 of Niagara Falls, plead guilty to Vehicular Assault in the Second Degree and admitted to operating her vehicle while impaired by the influence of co***ne and cannabis, and as a result caused serious physical injury to another. Metro was driving her vehicle while impaired in a residential neighborhood in Niagara Falls on June 22, 2025 when she struck and seriously injured a 10 year old girl riding a scooter. The child was rushed to the hospital by emergency responders and is doing well more than a year after the incident.
​Metro faces up to 4 years in prison when she returns to be sentenced on October 13th by County Court Judge John Ottaviano. The case was investigated by the Niagara Falls Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Nichole Tarbell.


​Barbara A. Rodgers, age 24 of Lockport, entered a guilty plea to the crimes of Assault in the Second Degree and Driving while Impaired by the combined influence of drugs including fentanyl and cannabis. Rodgers was operating her vehicle while impaired on Transit Rd. in the Town of Lockport, also on June 22, 2025, when she slammed into the rear of another vehicle forcing that vehicle off the road and causing serious injury to a passenger in her own vehicle as well as to another person in the vehicle she struck.
​Rodgers faces up to 7 years in prison when she returns to court to be sentenced by County Court Judge Caroline Wojtaszek. The case was investigated by the New York State Police and prosecuted by Vehicular Crimes Bureau Chief Christine Savoia.

Seaman stated: “The callous and reckless decisions by these defendants to drive under the influence of drugs caused very serious injuries to three individuals and placed the lives of countless others at risk. There should be a correspondingly serious consequence for these crimes which we will ask the judges to impose at sentencing.”

07/09/2026

PRESS RELEASE:

July 9, 2026

LOCKPORT, NY: Niagara County District Attorney Brian D. Seaman announced that Thomas H. Summers, Jr., age 53 of Newfane, plead guilty this afternoon to the crime of Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree. Summers admitted to driving his truck while impaired by the combined influence of co***ne, methamphetamine, and oxycodone, which caused a crash that took the life of his passenger, 48 year old Rodolfo Espinoza, on Lockport Junction Road in the Town of Lockport last July 16th.

“This plea should be a reminder to everyone of the consequences of driving while impaired by any substance,” said Seaman. “The possible prison term allowed by law for this crime will never be sufficient for the damage caused by the defendant. We will be asking for the maximum term.”

Summers faces up to 2 1/3 to 7 years in state prison when he returns to be sentenced by Acting Supreme Court Justice Mario Giacobbe on September 11th. The case was investigated by the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Vehicular Crimes Bureau Chief Christine Savoia.

07/01/2026

PRESS RELEASE:

Monday, June 29, 2026

LOCKPORT, NY: Niagara County District Attorney Brian D. Seaman announced that Gabriel Moyer, age 24, of Sanborn, was sentenced by County Court Judge John Ottaviano to spend the next 22 years in prison for his guilty plea to the crime of Manslaughter in the First Degree. Moyer previously admitted to shooting and killing 26 year old Keith Agee on June 4, 2022 in Niagara Falls.

“The defendant’s violent crime took a young man’s life. The court’s sentence today brings a four-year legal ordeal for Mr. Agee’s family to a close,” said Seaman.

The case was investigated by the Niagara Falls Police Department and prosecuted by First Assistant District Attorney Doreen Hoffmann and Assistant District Attorney Susan Bjornholm.

Address

175 Hawley Street
Lockport, NY

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+17164397085

Website

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