BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Erie County Sheriff's Office Chief of Narcotics Daniel "DJ" Granville, who pleaded guilty after a series of hit-and-run crashes, is set to retire at the end of March.
Terry Connors, his attorney, told 7 News that Granville plans to retire on March 27 and he has "located a lucrative position in the private sector."
In August 2025, Granville pleaded guilty to Reckless Driving and Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Only Accident after he crashed into seven parked cars on Buffalo's West Side in April 2024. He was sentenced to 50 hours of community service and nearly $700 in fines.
After pleading guilty to the charges, Granville was suspended for 30 working days without pay as punishment. Sheriff John Garcia announced the disciplinary action in a statement and said his office concluded its internal investigation into the incident.
Allegations of the crashes surfaced following a lawsuit that was filed. That lawsuit claimed Granville was driving on Buffalo's west side negligently, recklessly, and carelessly in his county-owned vehicle before losing control and crashing into the parked cars.
In October 2025, Niagara County District Attorney Brian Seaman, who was appointed special prosecutor to review the case, determined there was "insufficient evidence" to charge any of the responding police officers with violations of criminal law in the case.
In January, 7 News learned that Granville will pay Erie County over $75,000 in connection with the hit-and-run case. According to the settlement release and agreement obtained by 7 News, Granville will pay a total of $75,881 using a combination of vacation time and garnishment of wages. If he is no longer employed by the county, he will be responsible for continuing payments until the full amount has been paid.
Just last week, the Buffalo Police Department released its Internal Affairs report into the conduct of Lt. Lucia Esquilin, Granville's sister-in-law, and her fellow officers on the night of the incident. The report, which is more than 3,000 pages along with dozens of audio and image files, is slightly redacted but sheds new light on what happened.
