Rochester mayor's husband arrested as part of a months-long narcotics ring investigation, prosecutors say

• The husband of Rochester's Mayor Lovely Warren has been arrested.
• Timothy Granison pleaded not guilty to drug and gun charges after a seven month investigation.
• Warren was also indicted last year on felony fraud charges related to her campaign.

The husband of Rochester, New York, Mayor Lovely Warren has been arrested as part of a seven-month narcotics ring investigation, prosecutors said on Thursday.

Timothy Granison pleaded not guilty to two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and one count of criminal possession of a firearm, The Democrat and Chronicle reported.

Police surrounded the home of the mayor and her husband on Wednesday. During a search, they recovered a handgun and a semi-automatic weapon, according to Rochester City Newspaper.

Granison was one of seven people charged in the sting, the paper reported, in which police recovered a total of two kilograms of powder and crack cocaine, which has a street value of $60,000; three firearms; and more than $100,000 in cash.

Court documents seen by The Democrat and Chronicle show that Granison is accused of possessing 31 grams of cocaine.

Legal trouble for the mayor

When addressing reporters after Granison's arraignment, Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley didn't confirm or deny whether the mayor was involved in the drug ring, City Newspaper reported.

She simply said, "We're not charging yet," adding the investigation isn't over.

Separately, Warren was indicted last year on felony fraud charges related to her 2017 mayoral campaign. Investigators accused her team of illegally using a political action committee to bolster finances above the allowable donation limit, The Democrat and Chronical reported at the time.

Despite the indictment, Warren is currently seeking her third term in office.

Warren's attorney, Joseph Damelio, questioned whether a grand jury was swayed to indict because they were seated when members of the public had been calling for Warren to resign over the police killing of Daniel Prude.

Prude died in March 2020, a week after his brother called 911 to seek help for him during a mental health crisis.

When officers responded to the 911 call, they found Prude naked in the street and put a "spit hood" over his head due to concerns he might have COVID-19, according to police video made public in September. The officers pressed Prude's head to the ground for two minutes, and he stopped breathing. Prude was taken off life support seven days later.