Internal records also detail rule violations by Sheriff’s Narcotics Chief who pleaded guilty
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Daniel “D.J.” Granville, the chief of the Erie County Sheriff’s Narcotics and Intelligence Unit whose totaling of a work vehicle after a series of hit-and-run crashes caused a major controversy last year, will pay more than $75,000 in restitution to Erie County, according to documents released Monday.
The settlement agreement between Granville and County Attorney Jeremy Toth spells out the following terms of the $75,881 in restitution he has agreed to pay the county to reimburse it for the cost of the vehicle he totaled as well as payments the county sent to the owners of the seven vehicles he struck in April 2024:
-Granville will immediately return 100 hours of vacation time, worth $5,227.
-Granville may return any future vacation time to the county at his hourly wage of $52.27.
-In addition to vacation time, Granville will remit $350 per paycheck to the county until the full amount has been paid back.
-If Granville, who made $214,000 in 2024 because he is eligible for overtime, retires prior to paying off the full amount to the county, he will be forced to pay the county $700 per month until the full settlement amount has been reached. He will also cash in all available vacation time and apply it to the balance.
Click here to read the full settlement agreement.
The settlement was signed by all parties in December. It was obtained Monday through a Freedom of Information Law request to Erie County.
Internal records released
Additionally, an internal Erie County Sheriff’s Office investigation found Granville engaged in conduct unbecoming an officer and violated department rules, according to records obtained by 2 On Your Side.
The four-page report is dated Aug. 15, the same day Granville pleaded guilty in Buffalo City Court to reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident. The internal investigation was conducted by Chief Neil Held and Undersheriff William Cooley.
The Sheriff’s Office initially denied 2 On Your Side’s request for the records in August, citing concerns that disclosure could interfere with a special prosecutor’s investigation into Buffalo Police officers who responded to the scene. After that probe concluded, it took the Sheriff’s Office more than two additional months to release the limited report through a public records request.
According to the documents, Granville failed to immediately notify his supervisor of the crash, violating department policy governing accidents involving sheriff’s vehicles.
The findings stem from an April 11, 2024, crash involving an unmarked sheriff’s vehicle driven by Granville. Granville drove the vehicle on a destructive path through Buffalo’s West Side, damaging seven parked vehicles. The incident remained undisclosed to the public for nearly a year until it was revealed in a 2 On Your Side investigation.
Buffalo Police issued three traffic summonses after the incident became public through media reports. At the time of the crash, Granville was initially ticketed for driving the wrong way on a one-way street, which was reduced to a jaywalking violation.
Granville was sentenced to a $550 fine and 50 hours of community service, after being charged by a special prosecutor.
Sheriff John Garcia imposed a 30-day unpaid suspension as a result of the internal investigations findings. Granville was initially placed on 10 days of administrative leave with pay following media reports.
Another 2 On Your Side investigation revealed Granville was caught on video allegedly staging evidence, conducting illegal searches and misleading a judge. He is now included in an Erie County District Attorney’s Office database of police officers with credibility issues.