Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty To Lying To Grand Jury About Murder Investigation

BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Demetrius Lowry, a/k/a Little D, 24, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Didstrict Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to obstructing an official proceeding. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul C. Parisi, who is handling the case, stated that Jaquan Sullivan was shot and killed on December 5, 2015, in the vicinity of Parkdale Avenue in Buffalo. On December 8, 2015, Lowry was interviewed by Buffalo Police Homicide detectives and provided two written statements detailing the shooting, including the identity of the person who shot Sullivan.

On December 17, 2015, Lowry sent a text message to the Buffalo Police Confidential Tip Line stating that this prior information was “totally wrong” and that he did not know who was involved in the shooting. On February 18, 2016, detectives interviewed the defendant about the tip-line message, and Lowry signed a written statement indicating that the tip-line message was not true.

On July 12, 2018, law enforcement officers assigned to the FBI interviewed the defendant once again about the shooting death of Jaquan Sullivan. Lowry gave information about the identity of the shooter which was different from that which he provided on December 8, 2015.

On July 31, 2018, while under oath and testifying in a proceeding before a Federal Grand Jury, the defendant denied writing and signing both his December 8, 2015, and February 18, 2016, statements, claiming, inter alia, that he was never interviewed by a detective on February 18. Lowry testified that he did speak with the FBI in July of 2018, but he stated he was not asked about the murder of Jaquan Sullivan.  

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 20, 2020, before Judge Vilardo.