Why was Lovely Warren's house raided? Rochester Mayor's husband Timothy Granison arrested after 7-month probe
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren was in for a rude shock on Wednesday, May 19, when police busted into her home after arresting her husband. Warren's husband Timothy Granison was arrested and spent the night at Monroe County jail on multiple criminal charges. On Thursday, May 20, he appeared via video in Rochester City Court and pleaded not guilty.
The arrest has cooked up significant interest in the Democratic Mayor, who is struggling to seek a third term after previously being indicted for alleged campaign finance fraud. She's also faced questions in the past about Granison, who previously served a five-year jail term. Reportedly, Warren didn't know about the raid and is yet to issue a full statement on the matter.
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Shockingly, Granison wasn't originally a part of the investigation but became a person of interest around three months ago. Along with him, Rochester Police also arrested five other individuals, with Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley saying, "We're not done charging yet." Here's everything we know about the shocking arrest and why Warren's home was raided.
Why was Warren's home raided?
The raid on the Mayor's home was part of a seven-month-long investigation by the Monroe County DA's Office, New York State Police and the Rochester Police Department. That multi-agency investigation was looking into drug smuggling in the city, along with illegal weapons possession. According to officials, the entire sting yielded two kilograms of powdered and crack cocaine, with a street value of $60,000, three firearms, and more than $100,000 in cash. "That's significant, especially for this community," Doorley told reporters.
Raiding the Mayor's home, police found 31 grams of cocaine and an unregistered gun. Granison was then arrested on three felony counts — two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and one count of criminal possession of a firearm. Shortly after his arrest, cops also hit six other properties, including one belonging to Granison's brother Kevin. Seven others were also arrested by cops, after an extensive investigation involving wiretaps.
The arrests are part of a "mid-level" drug ring, with Doorley saying that "we're not done with this investigation." Granison was arraigned on May 20 and released on bail after pleading not guilty. His next court date is June 21, a day before Warren faces a primary challenge from City Council member Malik Evans.
"The mayor is just learning about the events that unfolded this afternoon and has no more information than the rest of the community," a spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday. "She hopes to learn more details this evening and will have a statement tomorrow." It is unclear at the time if Warren is also a target of the investigation. When asked, Doorley said, "I'm not saying that, I'm not commenting at this point."
Warren's family in woe
The arrest of Granison comes at a troubling time for Warren. In October 2020, she was indicted on two felony charges of breaking campaign finance rules. According to reports, "Warren, her associates and a political action committee supporting her campaign took steps to intentionally evade campaign donation limits." While that indictment doesn't rule her out of running, it makes it considerably hard for her to convince voters she is still the best person for the job.
That case is currently ongoing, with Warren pleading not guilty. If convicted, she could be sentenced to up to four years in prison lose her law license, and be removed from office. That threat comes as her administration is still feeling the heat for its handling of the death of Daniel Prude. In March 2020, Prude was physically restrained by police officers, leading to him suffocating and dying in the street.
When she first ran in 2013, Warren also had to face many questions about her husband, who was previously arrested for a second-degree robbery in 1997. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years at the time. "Tim learned a great deal from the experience, and is now a loving husband, father, and contributing member of our community," Warren said back in 2013.