Sentencing delayed in fatal home invasion case
Jun. 25—LOCKPORT — A Niagara County Court judge delayed a final sentence Thursday for a Falls teen who pleaded guilty to his role in an attempted home invasion on the Tuscarora Indian Reservation that left one suspect dead and a Mount Hope Road homeowner wounded by gunfire.
Niagara County Court Judge Matthew J. Murphy III imposed a sentence of interim probation, with "intense supervision" for Michael S. Printup. That term of probation will last until December, when Murphy will then consider whether to grant Printup, 19, youthful offender status for his guilty plea to a charge of attempted first-degree assault.
If Printup is sentenced as a youthful offender it could reduce a potential prison term in his case to just four years. Otherwise, his plea exposes him to a sentence of up to 15 years behind bars.
Printup had originally been indicted by a Niagara County grand jury on charges of attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, first-degree burglary and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
His co-defendant in the case, Matthew M. Dubuc, 24, of Lewiston, was indicted by a grand jury on the same charges. Dubuc has also pleaded guilty to a count of attempted first-degree assault in a deal with prosecutors. He faces a prison term of up to 15 years when he is sentenced by Murphy.
The incident occurred about 4:50 a.m. March 1, 2020 on Mount Hope Road and involved, police said, three armed intruders entering a home. The intruders were confronted by the homeowner who was also armed and gunfire erupted.
Investigators said all three suspects then fled from the home in a car driven by an unidentified fourth suspect.
Niagara County Sheriff Michael Filicetti said at the time that a deputy who was responding to the shooting call spotted the getaway vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on Mount Hope Road and gave chase. After a lengthy pursuit involving several other sheriff's deputies, Filicetti said the vehicle was stopped on Lockport Road in the Town of Wheatfield.
Deputies found the driver, Dubuc, Printup and Christian R. Williams, 18, of the Falls, inside the vehicle. Williams was declared dead at the scene from a gunshot wound. Dubuc and Printup were taken into custody.
Lewiston Police officers and sheriff's deputies who had responded to the shooting scene found the resident of the home inside and suffering from a gunshot wound to his thigh. The 55-year-old victim told investigators that he was shot by Williams and Dubuc. The victim said the men were armed with a pistol and a shotgun.
The victim said the suspects kicked in his door and attempted to take his guns. The man said he fired at the intruders with a .22-caliber rifle, hitting Williams in the back.
While investigating the incident, officers said they found two vehicles in the driveway of the shooting scene without license plates. A check later determined that both vehicles had been reported stolen.
