Dante Richardson of Niagara Falls Under Criminal Investigation for Allegedly Defrauding Employer by Faking Education

Dante Richardson, a failed County legislative candidate and convicted felon, has recently been in the news as the victim of a shooting where he sustained two gunshot wounds to the leg while driving on the I-190 during the early morning hours of January 12th.

Sources say Richardson and his two passengers were returning home from a bar, though it remains unclear whether Richardson had been drinking himself. Investigators say that somewhere between the Vulcan Street and Sheridan Drive/Kenmore Avenue exits a dark-colored vehicle pulled alongside the Impala and fired multiple rounds into the driver’s side door. Police documented three bullet holes along the left side of the vehicle, with two rounds entering just below the door handle and a third penetrating near the front edge of the rear driver’s side door. Richardson was struck two times in the legs.

Richardson later told authorities that he began losing feeling in his legs, prompting his girlfriend to climb over him to take control of the vehicle and drive to Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center. Richardson never moved from his seat. 911 was called on their way to the hospital and police met them at the hospital.

Officers secured the vehicle and recovered a bullet from the roadway before turning the evidence over to the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Once inside the hospital, Richardson reportedly refused to cooperate with law enforcement and told officers to leave––a decision that created questions as to Richardson’s own involvement in the incident.

Just two days before the shooting, Richardson was fired from his employment at Buffalo Biodiesel, a Buffalo-based business that operates throughout the Northeast collecting used cooking oil from restaurants. According to multiple sources in the building who witnessed the termination, it was done with cause after an "outburst" with a "threat being made while being escorted out of the building by staff," according to a witness.

When Richardson was hired at Buffalo Biodiesel in December of 2025, he represented to the company – in writing – that he had various degrees. According to sources in the company, this included a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester that was mentioned in his LinkedIn and a Master’s in Business Administration from Stanford University. As a result, he was purportedly hired at a salary north of $125,000.

Niagara Action confirmed through sources who viewed documents, one of which was publicly available on Richardson’s own LinkedIn profile, and the other written on his application, showing that he indeed purported to have these two degrees.

But there’s one problem––records show he does not have any degrees.

According to a source at Buffalo Biodiesel who conducted a search through the National Student Clearinghouse, Richardson does not have a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester, nor does he have any degree whatsoever from Stanford.

In fact, just to make sure they weren’t making a mistake, the company asked Richardson to sign a release for the Registrar’s office at Stanford to release transcripts––which they say he refused to sign.

In order to fully understand the lengths Richardson went to effectuate his fraudulent conduct, you need to understand his criminal history.

In 2014, he was convicted in Erie County Court of first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery, and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon for a violent home invasion that occurred in Buffalo in 2012. He is considered a violent felon under New York's penal code.

Prosecutors alleged the home invasion was both calculated and violent. Once inside the home wearing masks and armed with a loaded .32 caliber pistol, Richardson and his accomplice repeatedly threatened the victim’s life while demanding money. He fled the residence when Buffalo Police arrived, escaping $10 in cash and a bag of condoms.

The Judge sentenced him to 10 years in state prison. Richardson ultimately served eight years of that sentence before being released on parole, where he remained under supervision until 2023.

Curiously, the time that Richardson alleged to have studied at the University of Rochester aligns with when he was incarcerated.

Between his hiring date and termination, Richardson was purportedly paid north of $12,000 from Buffalo Biodiesel. The company seeks to recoup the money, arguing it was taken under false pretenses via deception to get wages without intending to ever do the job, nor ever actually performing services.

These facts led Buffalo Biodiesel to file a criminal complaint against Richardson with the Buffalo Police Department for fraud, which Buffalo Biodiesel says is actively being investigated.

The Buffalo Police Department is also investigating the threat made after Richardson was terminated while being escorted out of the building. According to a source familiar with the situation, the staff member who walked him out was told by Richardson, referring to his violent criminal history, to "leave me alone and look me up [to see what I've done]."

After his termination, Richardson has since deleted and/or deactivated his LinkedIn which contained the false information relating to his educational history. It is still deleted/deactivated as of the time this article is being published.

UPDATE: As of 9pm on January 14th after this article was published, Richardson reactivated his LinkedIn. You can now see his purported education yourself.

However, this is not where the Richardson story ends. In addition to fabricating his education, he also fabricated his work history, which will be the subject of out next story.

Buffalo Biodiesel did not officially provide any comment on the record.

Anyone should be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Dante Richardson of Niagara Falls Under Criminal Investigation for Defrauding Employer by Faking Education