Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - A former Western New Yorker now living in Arkansas admits to menacing as a hate crime in connection to confronting with "Black Lives Matter" protesters in 2020. He also admitted to bail jumping.
51-year-old Michael J. Cremen, formerly of Franklinville in Cattaraugus County, admitted to using racial slurs while threatening protesters with a knife during a "Black Lives Matter" demonstration on Hertel Avenue near Parkside, pushing one protester in the process.
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Cremen was released on his own recognizance in the hate crime-related case, but repeatedly failed to appear in court. A bench warrant was issued after he knowingly failed to appear for a court proceeding in February 2022, and failed to appear for the re-scheduled court appearance in March 2022.
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In December 2022, Cremen was taken into custody in Arkansas by the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office on an outstanding bench warrant and an indictment warrant for bail jumping.
Cremen was extradited back to Western New York by the U.S. Marshals Service to face prosecution. He was held without bail.
Cremen faces a maximum of four years in prison when he is sentenced on Friday, Jan. 12.