The Town of Tonawanda man accused of stealing a Somali flag and damaging the Niagara Square flagpole it flew from in July pleaded guilty Thursday morning in Buffalo City Court.
Justin Eassa, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of fourth-degree criminal mischief, a misdemeanor. He was originally charged with third-degree criminal mischief and one count of petit larceny — one felony and one misdemeanor, respectively.
Eassa faces a maximum of 364 days in jail when sentencing takes place Jan. 7, 2027. According to the Erie County District Attorney's Office, prosecutors are also requesting the Court order Eassa to pay $462 to the City of Buffalo and perform community service.
Eassa also is being prosecuted for two other alleged crimes in the Village of Kenmore.
He is accused of subjecting a victim to physical contact on Tremaine Avenue in August and intentionally causing damage to another person's property by forcefully pulling an air conditioning unit out of a window. For this incident, he has been charged with one count of misdemeanor criminal mischief and second-degree harassment.
Then in September, Eassa was arraigned in Kenmore Village Court on one count of criminal contempt and one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance — both misdemeanors. This stems from police observing Eassa in a car parked outside the Tremaine Avenue residence, violating a temporary order of protection. When confronted, officers observed a bag of suspected cocaine inside his wallet.