A Buffalo man has pleaded guilty to a federal rioting charge for his participation in city protests last year over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Courtland Renford, 22, pleaded guilty Tuesday morning in U.S. District Court for looting a convenience store at Elmwood Avenue and Summer Street, then starting a fire in City Hall as part of protests the evening of May 30, 2020.
Over an hour after the store window was broken by a group of people that included Renford — who was seen on surveillance video — he admitted to throwing a blazing laundry basket through a broken City Hall window. That incident was caught on television news video.
Sentencing by federal Judge Richard Arcara is scheduled for Dec. 17. Renford faces a maximum five-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine. He also faces additional charges in Erie County Court from the protests.
