Inmate Sentenced Under New State Law for Threatening Judge

A Buffalo man currently incarcerated at the Erie County Correctional Facility has received additional prison time for sending a threatening letter to a local judge, marking the first conviction in Erie County under a recently enacted state law.

Yasir Creach, 44, was sentenced Tuesday by Erie County Court Judge Sheila A. DiTullio to 18 months to 3 years in state prison. The sentence follows Creach’s conviction for aggravated harassment of a judge, a Class E felony under New York Penal Law 240.33.

According to Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane, the charge stems from a letter Creach sent on February 24th to a Cheektowaga Town Court justice. At the time, Creach was serving a 90-day sentence in the county facility following a conviction for attempted petit larceny, a misdemeanor offense to which he pleaded guilty on February 6th.

The threatening letter was determined to be a deliberate effort to harass and intimidate the judge, placing both the justice and their family in fear for their safety. Creach formally pleaded guilty to the harassment charge on April 8th.

In addition to the prison sentence, a final order of protection was issued in favor of the judge.

Creach becomes the first individual in Erie County to be convicted under Penal Law 240.33, a statute enacted on July 19th, 2024, as part of a broader legislative push to protect members of the judiciary. The law targets those who knowingly engage in threatening behavior toward judges or their immediate families, with the intent to harass or cause fear of harm.

DA Keane praised the Cheektowaga Police Department for their swift and thorough investigation that led to the successful prosecution. The case was handled by Assistant District Attorney Megan E. Mahoney of the Felony Trials Bureau.

Inmate Sentenced Under New State Law for Threatening Judge