Buffalo, NY (WBEN) A former Erie County Assistant DA pleads guilty to possession of cannabis and driving while ability impaired. He was under investigation for sharing information with someone under investigation by Buffalo Police.
29 year old De'Lenci N. Shannon-Brown entered a guilty plea in Buffalo City Court to criminal possession of cannabis and driving while ability Impaired. Buffalo City Court Judge Rebecca Town imposed a fine and driver's license suspension for Shannon-Brown's sentence.
Shannon-Brown had been under investigation for official misconduct related to his employment with the Erie County District Attorney's Office. There were suspicions he had shared confidential information with someone under Buffalo Police investigation. Former Erie County DA John Flynn, who hired Shannon-Brown, says it turned out not to be the case. "There was no information sensitive information that was given to this buddy of his, and so at the end of the day, that that saved him probably, with the Niagara County DAs office," says Flynn.
Niagara County DA Brian Seaman served as special prosecutor in the matter. "After careful consideration of the defendant's conduct, but also his background and surrounding circumstances, we determined that a misdemeanor resolution was proper for this case. Fortunately no sensitive information from the District Attorney's Office made it into the wrong hands because of the defendant's conduct. A criminal conviction, however, is a serious matter. Because the defendant is a licensed attorney he will have to answer to the Grievance Committee for his conduct," says Seaman in a statement.
Nevertheless, Flynn says he's disappointed in his one-time hire. "I not only hired him, but I gave him multiple chances to get hired in the first place. That's what the biggest disappointment that I have is, is that this kid, who graduated but had not passed the bar exam yet. He took the bar exam, but was waiting on his results," says Flynn. Flynn says Shannon-Brown eventually passed the bar exam. "He came to me and said, 'Mr. Flynn, I finally passed the bar exam. Can I come back?' Being a nice guy that I am, said absolutely, I gave him a third chance now, and he came back. I brought him back in, and then I'm gone for two weeks, and he commits this crime. And so I cannot begin to tell you how disappointed I was, and what a total breach of trust this was," adds Flynn.
Shannon-Brown was fired following the arrest. With the guilty plea, he'll have to deal with the Grievance Committee.
