Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Buffalo Catholic Diocese announced Monday its Independent Review Board (IRB) has completed its review of independent investigations into allegations brought against Rev. Joseph Gatto and Rev. Patrick O’Keefe, while also making its recommendations to Bishop Michael Fisher.
In the case of Rev. Gatto, the IRB determined that any allegation he had an inappropriate relationship with a teenager that died in 2017, or did anything to contribute to his death is unsubstantiated. That allows Rev. Gatto to maintain the ability to carry out his priestly ministry.
Rev. Gatto had voluntarily removed himself from active ministry in March of this year after he was the subject of emotional testimony in federal bankruptcy court, where during victim impact statements, Tracy Waring testified that her son, Devin's suicide in 2017 was connected to Gatto. The IRB assigned Julie Ledwin, a retired detective who previously worked in the Sex Offense Squad of the City of Buffalo Police Department, to conduct a thorough investigation into allegations made by the mother of the teen.
Rev. Gatto had been serving at St. Benedict's parish in Eggertsville, as well as St. Leo's, Christ The King, Ss. Peter & Paul, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, and Infant of Prague.
In the case of Rev. O’Keefe, an investigation by retired police detective Jacqueline Sullivan on allegations pertaining to inappropriate conduct toward adults determined the claims are substantiated, resulting in the IRB recommending to not allow Rev. O’Keefe to resume active ministry at this time.
Rev. O'Keefe was removed from active ministry in October 2025 after harassment allegations with adults surfaced, as well as accusations of inappropriate workplace and ministerial conduct.
O'Keefe had served as Parochial Vicar of Ascension Parish in Batavia; St. Brigid Parish in Bergen; Resurrection Parish in Batavia and Our Lady of Mercy Parish in LeRoy.
In addition, in the case of Rev. Jeffrey Nowak, the IRB did not initiate a separate investigation of its own, but relied on the investigation of the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as the affidavit of FBI Special Agent Kelly Milliman, in its finding that the allegations are substantiated.
The IRB further recommended that Rev. Nowak be removed from the “clerical state” in an expedited manner.
Bishop Fisher instructed the Diocese’s Judicial Vicar to begin preparing the case for this purpose, and for submission to the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Last month, Nowak, who was on administrative leave, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt and possession of child pornography.
The FBI Criminal Division’s Violent Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Section, Child Exploitation Operational Unit (CEOU) received a referral from law enforcement located in Scotland in late 2025, related to a Telegram group whose members participated in group Zoom calls during which members were observed viewing and sharing child pornography. Investigators linked one of the participants to the username "PigBoy666", which was later identified as Nowak.
As a result, the investigation into Nowak was re-opened by FBI Buffalo in March 2026.
Officials executed a search warrant at Nowak's residence in Lackawanna on July 8, during which investigators seized multiple electronic devices, including a cell phone, laptop, iPad, a USB storage device, and suspected narcotics. An initial review of the electronics, including the USB storage device, recovered several folders containing videos of child pornography.
Bishop Fisher has accepted the unanimous recommendations of the IRB in each of these three cases.
