Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty To Assaulting A Federal Officer During May Civil Unrest In Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Keyondre Robinson, 18, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

“With this plea, the defendant becomes the second individual to be convicted in the District in connection with the violent protests which were held here in late-May,” stated U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “In pleading guilty, defendant acknowledged that his behavior was not constitutionally protected expression but criminal conduct. Lawlessness, violence, and property damage are inherently unjust and antithetical to the objectives of those well-intentioned individuals who come together seeking positive change in our community.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Cantil, who is handling the case, stated that on May 30, 2020, thousands of protesters gathered outside of Niagara Square in Buffalo, adjacent to the Robert H. Jackson United States District Courthouse for the Western District of New York, following the death of George Floyd. As some of the protesters became aggressive and violent, law enforcement officers, including officers from the United States Marshals Service, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Protective Service, and the Buffalo Police Department, were deployed and tasked with protecting the Jackson Courthouse. The officers formed a perimeter around the Courthouse steps to protect the building from property damage and to prevent protesters from entering the Courthouse. The officers did not engage with the protesters except to keep them from entering or approaching the Courthouse. During the protests, the defendant, Keyondre Robinson, threw a water bottle at a Deputy United States Marshal which struck the Deputy in the face.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the United States Marshal’s Service, under the direction of United States Marshal Charles Salina; Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; the Federal Protective Service, under the direction of Craig Madey; and Buffalo Police Department and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 5, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. before Judge Vilardo.