Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty To Ramming FBI Property With His Car Causing Tens Of Thousands Of Dollars In Damage

U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of New York
11 September 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051

BUFFALO, N.Y. — U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Robert Lowe, 37, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to depredation of government property. The charge carries a maximum of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Bonanno, who is handling the case, stated that on March 30, 2017, at approximately 10:45 p.m., the defendant willfully crashed his motor vehicle into two exterior gates at the Federal Bureau of Investigation office located at One FBI Plaza in Buffalo.

As a result of the crash, $889.50 had to be spent on emergency gate repairs and emergency temporary barriers. Subsequently, an additional $88,040.58 had to be spent to purchase new gates, new gate controllers, and a new guard booth. An additional $20,866.72 was spent on overtime for guards necessitated by the repair work. The total amount spent because of the crash was $109,796.80.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 19, 2019, before Judge Arcara.

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