Wednesday Afternoon News Brief
Written by WBTA STAFF on January 22, 2025

Brevin Mast
27-year-old Brevin Mast of Batavia has been arrested. He’s charged with criminal possession of a weapon and menacing. It’s alleged that Mast threatened two people during an incident on Trumbull Parkway. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and remanded to Genesee County Jail; Mast is due back in court at a later date.

Michael Difalco
37-year-old Michael Difalco of Batavia was arrested following a disturbance on South Main Street. It’s alleged he violated an order of protection. Difalco then attempted to flee on foot, when officers attempted to take him into custody. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and remanded to the county jail. Difalco is due back in court on January 30th.

Lyndsey Wilcox – 13WHAM Photo
The woman involved in the beating death of a Genesee County Sheriff’s Department sergeant has been sentenced. Yesterday, a judge ordered Lyndsey Wilcox to serve six months behind bars and five years on probation. Prosecutors say Sergeant Thomas SanFratello was trying to escort Wilcox and Michael Elmore out of Batavia Downs back in 2024 after a fight. That’s when Wilcox got into a confrontation with SanFratello, leading to Elmore assaulting him. Because she’s been in custody over 260 days, Wilcox was released.

Regional Transit Service bus – undated file photo
The Regional Transit Service is planning to hold an informational session later today to gather feedback from customers on RTS Genesee’s new route service that began in August and also to provide information on a new service. The meeting starts at 5:00 this afternoon at the Genesee County Office for the Aging. For more information, please call 585-343-3079.

Ryan Corbett (seated) – Photo credit: 13WHAM
After being held captive by the Taliban for more than two years, a Dansville resident will be returning to the United States. The Taliban has agreed to a prisoner exchange that’ll allow Ryan Corbett to be freed. Corbett moved to Afghanistan to work with non-governmental organizations and started his own business before being detained in 2022. The Taliban is praising this swap as a way to normalize relations between Afghanistan and the U.S. Corbett’s family is thanking everyone responsible for his release.
Orleans County Sheriff Christopher Bourke is warning community members about a scam currently circulating in the area. The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office has received reports that individuals are receiving phone calls from scammers who claim to be members of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office. These fraudulent callers are demanding payments via Venmo, or other electronic payment methods in exchange for clearing outstanding warrants. If you receive a call like this, do not provide any personal information, financial details, or make any payment. The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office will never request payment to resolve warrants or other law enforcement matters over the phone. These calls are a scam and should be treated as such. If you are contacted in this manner, please hang up immediately and report the incident to their office.
The New York State Department of Financial Services, along with Governor Hochul, are proposing new regulations to protect consumers against unfair overdraft fees. The new regulations would ensure customers would no longer face overdraft fees for minor transactions and require banks to provide timely notifications to customers about fees to improve transparency.
With less than four months until the federal REAL ID Act becomes enforceable, the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles is encouraging New Yorkers to make sure they are prepared. Beginning on May 7, 2025, anyone going through airport security to fly domestically or attempting to enter secure federal facilities will be required to have a REAL ID or another form of compliant identification such as an Enhanced ID or Passport. For those who need to upgrade their state-issued ID before May 7, the DMV is strongly encouraging them to act now.
The Buffalo Police Department safely located two girls after they were reported missing on Monday night. Twelve-year-old Ariyah Brown and seven-year-old Nova-Payne Lilley were found safely in an apartment on Langfield Drive. The girls are being assessed for any injuries. Two people are being brought in to talk to detectives about the incident.
A Tonawanda woman has pleaded guilty to wire fraud in federal court for stealing over $440,000 from an Amherst business. Officials say between April 2022 and June 2024, 52-year-old Erin Martin made unauthorized electronic fund transfers from the business’s bank account directly into her personal account while she was their senior staff accountant. Martin admitted to using the money to pay for personal and family members’ expenses. She faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.
Governor Hochul has revealed her fiscal blueprint for the Empire State in the form of her latest budget proposal. The governor is calling for $252 billion to be spent, which is the highest amount during her time in office. Hochul claims her budget will deliver billions of dollars in tax cuts and it includes inflation refunds for individuals and families. It also calls for tripling the current child tax credit. Lawmakers and the governor have until April 1st to pass the budget on time

Thomas Sibick
President Trump has pardoned a Buffalo man who assaulted a police officer during the January 6th, 2021 insurrection. 39-year-old Thomas Sibick was sentenced to 50 months in prison after he plead guilty to a felony count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers and a misdemeanor count of theft. Sibick allegedly ripped a badge and radio from an officer who was pulled into a crowd during the attack.
The Buffalo Sabres got back in the win column with last night’s 3-2 victory over the Canucks in Vancouver. Jiri Kulich, JJ Peterka and Tage Thompson all chipped in with goals in the win. Buffalo will now head to Calgary for a matchup with the Flames tomorrow night. Puck drop is scheduled for 9:00.