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Jan 22

2026

Misconduct allegations could endanger drug convictions

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In a lawsuit, two former employees of the Niagara County Forensics Lab have accused a former director of mismanagement and misconduct that legal experts say could compromise criminal convictions that relied on the lab’s analysis. The plaintiffs, a father and daughter, claim Kori Ortt-Gawrys — the sister of state Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt —  harassed and defamed them over a two-year period, compelling one to quit and the other to retire early. The father, Thomas DiFonzo, claims Ortt-Gawrys turned on him after she pushed him to certify a lab chemist to do forensic drug analysis for criminal cases. DiFonzo[...]

Posted 3 days ago

Jan 20

2026

Niagara County Sheriff pulling back on ICE partnership

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Niagara County Sheriff Michael Filicetti, in a policy change, has “reevaluated” his partnership with ICE and has agreed to detain fewer migrants at the Lockport jail. The sheriff, a Republican law enforcement official in a county President Donald Trump won three times, is not cancelling the agreement he signed in May with the federal immigration enforcement agency. But, he and others said, his deputies will only arrest and detain migrants charged with crimes or whose arrest has been approved by a judge. Previously, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office was holding lawful asylum seekers and other civil detainees, primarily women. Among[...]

Posted 4 days ago

Jan 19

2026

More on the Big Brother act at Wegmans

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The story of Wegmans snooping on its customers has legs. The Gothamist broke the story and several local news outlets here followed with stories that largely quoted store flaks as refusing to say whether facial recognition technology is deployed in WNY as it is in New York City. Our J. Dale Shoemaker did a deeper drive that documented the use of biometrics is just the tip of the iceberg. Investigative Post has found that Wegmans is tracking and collecting data on customers from the moment they enter the parking lot to the moment they check out.  Big Brother kind of[...]

Posted 6 days ago

Jan 16

2026

Buffalo mayor to ban city cooperation with ICE, others

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Mayor Sean Ryan addresses community groups Friday. Photo via PPG. Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan announced Friday that his administration is drafting an executive order that will prohibit the Buffalo police and other city departments from working with federal immigration agencies. The order, he said, would ensure “no apparatus of city government interacts in any way with federal immigration.” “And that’s going to be from building inspectors, to garbage collectors to police officers,” he said. “What we don’t want is any chilling effect,” Ryan told civic and advocacy groups assembled at the Buffalo State University Alumni Visitor Center. “We don’t want[...]

Posted 1 week ago

Jan 15

2026

Anger over ICE detention of UB researcher

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Outrage over the ICE detention of a University at Buffalo medical researcher — Shovgi Huseynov — is reverberating around Western New York, with one lawmaker calling for the impeachment of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. “This incident is part of a disturbing pattern of lawless and unconstitutional conduct at the Department of Homeland Security, under the leadership of Secretary Noem, and it underscores why she must resign or be impeached immediately,” Rep. Tim Kennedy, D-Buffalo, said in a statement. Huseynov on January 7 made a wrong turn onto the Peace Bridge and crossed into Canada. He was arrested[...]

Posted 1 week ago

Jan 14

2026

Wrong turn lands UB scientist in ICE detention

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  A screenshot of Huseynov’s Facebook page. The Trump administration maintains its mass deportation program is aimed only at “the worst of the worst.” In reality, the crackdown on immigrants is a dragnet, one that’s now ensnared a well-regarded neuroscience researcher from the University at Buffalo. Azerbaijan native Shovgi Huseynov has no criminal record and a visa that allows him to work in the United States through 2029. But on January 7, Huseynov made a wrong turn onto the Peace Bridge and was detained by border agents upon his return to Buffalo. A spokesperson for U.S Customs and Border Protection[...]

Posted 2 weeks ago

Jan 13

2026

Change coming to Buffalo News ownership

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It can’t get any worse. That’s my first-blush impression of the pending change in ownership and management of Lee Enterprises, the newspaper chain whose holdings include The Buffalo News. Lee bought The News, and 30 other daily papers owned by Berkshire Hathaway, in March 2020. Lee’s ownership of The News — and, I suspect, many other papers under its control — has been marred by top-down management and poor decision-making. Crippling debt, along with the changing economics of the newspaper industry, are at the root of Lee’s problems and help explain its management of The News.  Revenues companywide have dropped[...]

Posted 2 weeks ago

Jan 12

2026

Newspaper dies of self-inflicted wounds

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Striking journalists and supporters of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2022. Photo courtesy of Communications Workers of America. Big city newspapers are constantly downsizing. It’s worse in Pittsburgh, where the Post-Gazette announced last week that it’s closing altogether in May. The publisher cited $350 million in losses over the past 20 years, which suggests management didn’t do a good job running the business. The Buffalo News, for example, has operated in the black the past couple of decades, although its profit margin has shrunk over the years. Sour grapes also appear to be involved with the decision to close. The union[...]

Posted 2 weeks ago
Investigative Post