BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — D.J. Granville, the former Erie County Sheriff's narcotics chief, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a charge of improper storage of a firearm at his arraignment in Buffalo City Court.
Buffalo police discovered a loaded gun registered to Granville inside an abandoned Tesla in Niagara Square in May. The Tesla belonged to Buffalo Biodiesel, a company that has contracted with Granville for security services. Granville was not in the vehicle when it was found.
Along with the firearm, investigators found Granville's identification and prescription medication bearing his name inside the car.
Granville's attorney, Terry Connors, said the weapon was secured in the trunk of the vehicle.
"A weapon was found locked securely in a trunk, and so now there's a question as to whether or not it was a violation of the statute, and there's a question as to whether or not the search was appropriate under the circumstances," Connors said.
Connors said the prosecution requested 30 days to provide discovery materials.
"The people, the prosecutor requested 30 days for an opportunity to provide us with discovery, which will be the documents that pertain to this case, and we'll be back in court on July 29," Connors explained.
Granville has been the subject of multiple investigations and numerous news stories after he crashed his county-owned vehicle into seven parked cars along several blocks in Buffalo in April 2024.
In August 2025, Granville pleaded guilty to Reckless Driving and Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Only Accident. He was sentenced to 50 hours of community service and nearly $700 in fines. A restitution agreement with the county then followed. Granville retired from the Erie County Sheriff’s Office on March 27 of this year.
Connors addressed the level of public attention surrounding the case, pointing to Granville's prior legal troubles.
"This is an untoward amount of attention to this particular case, as you've seen from court today. The court was packed with charges much more serious than this," Connors said. "Frankly, there's a lot of attention on this because of who he is, and that's not right. That's not fair. It ought to be based upon what the actual charges are. He's out of the police force, out of law enforcement, living a life as a private citizen. He ought to have the rights of a private citizen; I'm going to see that he does.”
Connors clarified the legal distinction at the center of the charge.
"The allegation is that when you have a weapon, even legally, pursuant to a pistol permit, it should be contained in a locked box. His was in a locked trunk; that's the distinction," Connors said.
Connors also confirmed that Granville's business relationship with Buffalo Biodiesel has continued following the incident.
In a statement from Buffalo Biodiesel given to 7 News in May, it said it is cooperating with Buffalo police and confirmed Granville was not operating or riding in the vehicle at the time.
"Buffalo Biodiesel is aware of one of its vehicles being left in Niagara Square. We have and continue to be fully cooperative with the Buffalo Police Department. This vehicle was driven by an employee who was off-duty. We can confirm that DJ Granville was not the operator or passenger of the vehicle at the time this incident occurred," the company said.
"The matter is currently under investigation internally while we are also providing full cooperation with the Buffalo Police Department. Mr. Granville's company has been retained by our company to conduct internal and external investigations and assistance in prosecutions of criminal acts against the company that typically involve organized crime which has been previously reported by multiple news agencies over many years," the company said.
Granville's next court appearance is scheduled for July 29.
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