The Niagara County District Attorney’s Office has been assigned as a special prosecutor in the investigation surrounding last April’s car crashes involving Erie County Sheriff’s Office Chief of Narcotics Daniel “D.J.” Granville. Erie County District Attorney Michael Keane announced the appointment on Wednesday, citing a potential conflict of interest within his office.
The Buffalo Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division had recently reached out to the Erie County DA’s office for consultation on the case. However, Keane noted that a family member of Granville works in his office, raising concerns over the appearance of impropriety. As a result, he sought the appointment of an outside prosecutor, which Erie County Judge Sheila DiTullio granted.
Niagara County District Attorney Brian Seaman confirmed that his office would review the matter upon receiving the official court order.
The case stems from an incident on April 11th, 2024, when Granville crashed a county-owned, unmarked pickup truck into seven parked vehicles. Some of the collisions occurred while driving the wrong way on a one-way street. Despite the severity of the crash, Granville only received a moving violation, which was later reduced to a jaywalking charge.
Police reports from the incident were signed by Buffalo Police Lt. Lucia Esquilin, who is Granville’s sister-in-law. It was then revealed that Granville had personal and financial ties to Keane’s office. His sister-in-law, Kristen Granville, works as a legal secretary and former victim advocate for the Erie County DA’s Office. Additionally, Granville had donated $550 to Keane’s political campaign in 2024 and appeared in a political advertisement supporting Keane’s candidacy.
This is not the first time the Granville family has been involved in a similar incident. In 2016, D.J. Granville’s brother, William “Billy” Granville, crashed an unmarked county-owned sedan into a parked car in Buffalo’s Old First Ward. The handling of that case also drew public scrutiny at the time.
With the Niagara County DA’s Office now overseeing the investigation, officials hope to provide a transparent and impartial review of the events surrounding Granville’s crash and any potential misconduct.
Niagara County DA Takes Over Investigation of Erie County Sheriff's Narcotics Chief’s Crash