Buffalo Man Charged With Ramming FBI Property With His Car

U.S. Attorney’s Office
Western District of New York
3 April 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

BUFFALO, N.Y.—Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Robert Lowe, 35, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with depredation of government property. The charge carries a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $1,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul C. Parisi, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on March 30, 2017, at approximately 10:40 p.m., the defendant rammed his SUV into the gate of the Buffalo Office of the FBI on Mohawk Street. Lowe then backed up from the gate and drove around the perimeter of the FBI office at a high rate of speed. The defendant then drove to the perimeter gate on Staats Street and rammed into that gate twice. The gate gave way and Lowe entered the parking lot, drove in circles and then rammed into the outbound lane perimeter gate. The defendant drove out of the parking lot through Staats Street and was stopped and taken into custody by Buffalo Police at Chippewa Street and Elmwood Avenue.

The estimated value of the damaged security gates at the FBI is in excess of $50,000.

The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Adam S. Cohen, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.