Former mayoral hopeful Nix out of jail, back in business on Pine Avenue
Former Niagara Falls mayoral candidate Demetrius Nix is out of jail and back behind the counter at his restaurant on Pine Avenue.
He said this week that he also has much bigger plans now, including pursuing the development of a program to help improve the lives of residents living in poverty and high-crime areas in Alexandria, Louisiana.
Nix, who failed in his bid to become mayor in 2023, was released from the Niagara County jail on March 5 after serving a six-month sentence stemming from a plea agreement on charges that he broke in and caused damage to a house on Pierce Avenue that he was hired to renovate.
'I came home with my mind right,' he said. 'While I had time in jail, I had time to think about how to do things and how to do them right.'
While he was offered a probationary sentence, Nix chose to serve time in jail so he could be 'done and free' with the case. After his release, his first order of business was to restart N-Town Wingz, the restaurant he opened in April 2024 to raise the money needed to cover the $32,000 restitution ordered by the courts as part of his plea deal. Nix credited income from the restaurant with allowing him to cover the full restitution. He said he has now hired three people to help run the restaurant.
'One thing this situation did do, it created a new means of income for me,' he said.
The charges against Nix stemmed from a break-in at a home on the 1100 block of Pierce Avenue on Jan. 16, 2023. Nix was also linked to a reported burglary at an apartment building on the 500 block of 20th Street, between Jan. 18 and 19, which is under the control of the same owners as the Pierce Avenue property.
He was never charged in connection with the 20th Street incident.
The Pierce Avenue break-in resulted in an estimated $30,000 of property damage.
The property was being renovated by Rod Davis, a Western New York developer, whose firm Power City Ventures, LLC, had been designated by the city as the preferred developer for a housing renovation project that was eligible for up to $1 million in reimbursable grant funds through the state's Restore New York program. Davis withdrew from the project after a Niagara Gazette investigation raised questions about his record of payment to vendors, handling of rent payments he collected for a company that managed properties in the Falls and his involvement in a Cedar Avenue development project that was never completed.
Nix said he's glad to have the issues with Davis and the Pierce Avenue property behind him and is now concentrating on the restaurant and fixing up and renting out apartments he owns in the city. He is also continuing to work with co-director Trent Hamilton on offering services to residents in need out of the Entrepreneur School of Thought, an adult resource center located at 1110 19th St.
'I'm really trying to make it bigger and put more time and more energy into the school because it helps so much,' he said.
Prior to going to jail, the center received a visit from Reddix Washington, a member of the Alexandria city council who expressed interest in opening a similar school in his community. Nix said he has also met with the city's mayor and police chief to talk, and that Washington stayed in touch with him while he was in jail and they have agreed to talk again now that he has been released.
'Alexandria has the same population as us but three times the murder rate. The killing that's going on out there is crazy and they don't know what to do with it,' Nix said.
Nix said he's also interested in finding ways to expand on another one of his ideas, the motivational slogan and movement he dubbed 'WAWG,' short for the slogan he ran on during his mayoral campaign, 'We All We Got.' Prior to serving jail time, Nix met with rapper and music producer Master P to discuss the possibility of expanding WAWG to other parts of the country.
He said he often does not receive the same level of interest or response from leaders in this area.
'In Niagara Falls, nobody wants to help,' he said. 'The only help I'm getting is from my people. There, the government wants to help. When it comes to the system here, I'm always running uphill.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jury begins deliberating in Weinstein's rape retrial
Jurors in Harvey Weinstein's rape and sexual assault retrial have begun deliberating in a Manhattan court, after a judge instructed them to weigh for themselves the credibility of the three accusers that the defence has said lied about their encounters with the once-powerful movie mogul. The Academy Award-winning producer and Miramax studio co-founder is accused of raping aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013 and assaulting two other women in 2006 and 2002. Weinstein, who has denied ever having non-consensual sex or assaulting anyone, has pleaded not guilty. The trial began in April. Weinstein, 73, is on trial for a second time after a New York state appeals court threw out his conviction in April 2024. He faces up to 25 years in prison for two counts of criminal sexual acts and up to four years for one count of rape. After the jury was sent to deliberate, Weinstein, seated in a wheelchair and wearing a dark grey suit, thanked New York Supreme Court Justice Curtis Farber and the court staff. "I have been treated incredibly fairly," he said. Weinstein's defence lawyer Arthur Aidala moved for a mistrial earlier on Thursday morning, because Farber replaced a juror who called in sick with an alternate. The judge denied the motion. Weinstein is already serving a 16-year prison sentence after being found guilty in December 2022 of rape in California. Two days of closing arguments wrapped up on Wednesday, and Farber will instruct the 12 jurors on the law before handing them the case. Prosecutors with the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg have portrayed Weinstein as a serial predator who promised career advancement in Hollywood to women, only to then coax them into private settings where he attacked them. "He held the golden ticket, the chance to make it or not. He made each of these women feel small, no match for the power broker of Hollywood," prosecutor Nicole Blumberg told jurors on Wednesday. Weinstein's defence lawyers have said his encounters with the women were consensual and accused them of lying about being raped after failing to make it big in Hollywood by sleeping with him. "They are lying about what happened. Not about everything, but about a small slice - just enough to turn their regret, their buyers' remorse, into criminality," Aidala told jurors on Tuesday. Weinstein was convicted of rape by a Manhattan jury in February 2020, but the New York Court of Appeals threw out the conviction and ordered a new trial, citing errors by the trial judge. Weinstein had been serving a 23-year sentence in a prison in upstate Rome, New York, when the conviction was overturned. That conviction was a milestone for the MeToo movement, which encouraged women to come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct by powerful men. Weinstein has been held at New York City's Rikers Island jail since his conviction was overturned. He has had several health scares while being held at Rikers, and in September was rushed to a hospital for emergency heart surgery. Miramax studio produced many hit movies in its heyday, including Shakespeare in Love and Pulp Fiction. Weinstein's own eponymous film studio filed for bankruptcy in March 2018, five months after the original sexual misconduct accusations became widely publicised. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Forbes
3 hours ago
- Forbes
FBI Warns iPhone And Android Users—Do Not Answer These Calls
You have been warned — do not take the call. Republished on June 7 with new warnings and more detail on potential threats. The FBI is warning smartphone users this week to be alert to nationwide attacks that frighten citizens into sending money. There's a nasty twist to this scam, and it's one where law enforcement is especially keen to stop Americans becoming victims. 'Scammers are spoofing FBI phone numbers nationwide,' the bureau says, 'impersonating government agents. Victims are tricked into thinking an arrest is imminent unless they send money.' If you receive such a call, the advice is simple and clear: 'The FBI will never call you demanding money to get out of criminal charges. It's a scam. Hang up and visit the FBI's to file a report.' The FBI is not alone in being spoofed in this way — this has become a powerful attack methodology and it's catching on fast. Last week I warned that multiple police forces across several states have issued the same warnings." New York State Police has told its citizens that 'an ongoing phone spoofing scam" is now "impersonating members of law enforcement or government agencies in an attempt to solicit sensitive personal information from individuals across New York State and beyond.' Those scammers 'demand personal information such as Social Security numbers and have threatened punitive action against recipients who refuse to comply.' Whether it's federal, state or local law enforcement, the advice is exactly the same. Do not take the calls. As soon as you hear the initial pitch from the scammer, hang up and file a report, either with your local police or with the FBI's national IC3 service. As with the FBI, New York State Police warns that attacks spoof legitimate phone numbers "to make it appear as if calls are coming from trusted agencies. These scams are designed to create confusion and fear, often leading victims to comply with demands or share information that can be used to commit further fraud.' While law enforcement impersonation scams continue to prompt warnings from various cities and states, the threat is now widening its net with multiple warnings as we head into the weekend. Attacks now include scammers impersonating bank investigators, fire department charity collections and even jury duty calls that tell citizens they must pay given failure to appear, to avoid more serious consequences. The bureau's advice though remains unchanged. 'There are many versions of the impersonation scam, and they all exploit intimidation tactics. Typically, scammers will use an urgent and aggressive tone, refusing to speak to or leave a message with anyone other than their targeted victim; and will urge victims not to tell anyone else, including family, friends, or financial institutions, about what is occurring.' The scammers' demands could be in various forms: 'Prepaid cards, wire transfers, and cash, sent by mail or inserted into cryptocurrency ATMs,' even handing cash or other valuables 'to a courier who arrives at their home.' You have been warned — this scam is nasty and preys on natural fears. Do not be afraid to hang up the phone. If you have any doubts, call back your local police force using a publicly available number. But all law enforcement agencies stress they never make such threats by phone or text — it's a scam every single time.
CNN
3 hours ago
- CNN
Recap of ‘Diddy' trial: ‘Jane' says Sean Combs threatened to cut her off financially over sexual ‘hotel nights'
A woman using the pseudonym 'Jane' took the stand for a second day of salacious testimony at the end of the fourth week of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' federal criminal trial. Jane's testimony comes as the prosecution seeks to show Combs and his inner circle used violence, lies, drugs, and other means to coerce Jane and Cassie Ventura into having sex with other men as part of drug-fueled sexual performances known as 'hotel nights' or 'Freak Offs.' Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. His defense has acknowledged Combs was violent but has questioned the motives of those testifying and said the women consented to the sexual activity. Jane began testifying Thursday afternoon and is expected to return to the stand next week to continue her testimony and cross-examination. Here's what we learned in testimony Friday. Jane, who dated Combs from 2021 to 2024, testified that Combs falsely promised he'd spend quality time alone with her and dismissed her repeated requests to stop participating in his sexual 'hotel nights.' Jane said that Combs promised her the things she wanted, like date nights and quality time, but said he wanted to have 'hotel nights' first. She would agree, but then afterward they'd be too exhausted and 'spent the rest of our free time sleeping,' she testified. 'I need a breather and a break from you,' she wrote in a text message, read aloud in court Friday, from November 2021 after seeing Combs spend quality time with another woman shortly after Jane had a 'hotel night' with him. 'This doesn't make me feel good at all. Your true intentions with me are in plain sight.' Jane testified that they had a 'hotel night' on her birthday in 2022 in which she had sex with another man at Combs' direction. Soon after, she saw on social media that Combs had a 'big grandiose birthday' for another woman he was dating, and the contrast was 'heartbreaking,' Jane said. 'I don't ever want to do another hotel night,' she texted Combs around that time. 'I didn't want to do those things with you on my birthday but I wanted to make sure we had a good time.' In 2023, Combs suggested she fly to New York to visit him, but she was hesitant because she figured he'd want to have a 'hotel night' while she was there, she testified. He promised her they would have a romantic time just the two of them, so she agreed to go, she said. But when she was mid-air, Combs texted her about getting 'entertainment' for them, and she felt 'really disappointed,' she testified. Jane said they bickered 'about just how I was done with this and I didn't want to do this and like why every time I see you this is happening.' They ended up having a 'hotel night' that night, she testified. Jane also recounted two times when the man brought in for the 'hotel night' was someone she was not attracted to, and how Combs kept pushing for her to try and engage with him regardless. Regarding one of those times, in 2023, Jane testified Combs said to her, 'Are you sure? Maybe just a little bit' even though she said she knew that 'this was definitely not something that I could fake doing.' She said they eventually excused the man because she was 'repulsed by him,' and then another man came to the hotel after. Jane said she and Combs entered into a 'love contract' in 2023 in which he agreed to pay her $10,000-per-month rent as an allowance. He is still paying for her rent, even now, she testified on Friday. She also testified he threatened to cut her off financially if she stopped participating in 'hotel nights.' In text messages from August 2023 that were read aloud in court, amid a discussion about a 'hotel night,' Combs told her he put $15,000 on credit for things in her new house. When Jane then expressed hesitation about having the 'hotel night,' in part because she was having her period, Combs became angry and accused her of using him for money, according to the texts. Days later, she expressed frustrations to Combs with how he treated her, and Combs sent her an audio message threatening to stop financially supporting her. 'I'm about to really disappear on you, you feel me?' Combs said in the audio message that was played aloud in court for the jury. He said she had a 'rude awakening' coming if she didn't stop fighting him. 'You better get on your job, that's all it is,' Combs said. 'Because you got me on my job.' Jane testified that she understood her 'job' was 'taking care of him, being good to him and making sure he was happy,' which included the sexual encounters. She said his 'job' was taking care of her financially. Jane also texted Combs that he had been 'making things feel completely transactional lately' and was 'threatening me any chance that you get.' She testified that Combs was constantly reminding her that he paid for her home. Around the time when she and Combs entered into their 'love contract,' Combs also paid for Jane to get veneers 'because he didn't like my teeth,' Jane testified. At one point thereafter when Jane texted him complaining that she hadn't seen him alone outside of a hotel room for the 'hotel nights,' Combs responded, 'Well get over it please. Look at the roof over your head and that pretty smile. I don't want to do anything if that's still an issue.' In late 2023, she sent him messages saying she didn't want to play this role in his life anymore. 'I feel it's the only reason you have me around and why you pay for the house,' she wrote. 'I don't want to feel obligated to perform these nights for you.' Combs responded to the text, 'Girl stop.' The jury heard audio from a 'hotel night' in which Combs was dismissive of a request from Jane to have her male sex partner wear a condom. The audio was an excerpt from a video recording of a 'hotel night' that captured a conversation between Jane, Combs and a man named Don. On the recording, Jane said, 'you promised' to Combs, who expressed his disapproval. Jane said on the stand that she and Combs had a conversation before that 'hotel night' in which he told her it would be okay if she wanted the man she would have sex with to wear a condom. He eventually gave the 'entertainer' a condom, Jane said. She said she asked Combs to allow the 'entertainers' to wear condoms several times, but Combs was typically dismissive. Jane was asked why she needed Combs' permission to have the man wear a condom, and Jane seemed to get emotional and said she was 'still trying to process' that. She said she didn't insist on the man wearing a condom because then Combs would be 'unhappy.' At another point in her testimony, the jury saw 15 photos that weren't released to the public (none of the exhibits were shown to the public in court). Jane testified that each of the photos showed her and another man during a 'hotel night' and that Combs was present for all of the nights pictured. One female juror placed her hand over her face as the sexually explicit photos were displayed on the screens in front of them. Jane testified that when Combs would run out of drugs during a 'hotel night,' he'd call an assistant, a butler or one of his security guards to bring more. She recalled a time in 2022 when Combs directed her to pick up drugs from security personnel at his Los Angeles home and fly with them to meet him in Miami. She communicated with Combs' aide Kristina Khorram about picking up the 'package' at Combs' home. Jane said she asked Khorram if this was 'safe and okay,' and Khorram said, 'It's fine I do it all the time.' Jane flew with the drugs to Miami and later took ecstasy with Combs that she said came from the package. Jane testified that Combs gave her drugs during the 'hotel nights' that kept her awake for longer and made it easier for her to participate in the 'fantasy.' Jane cried and was emotional as she detailed one 'hotel night' in which she had sex with three other men, at Combs' insistence, on her birthday. Jane said she flew to Miami in 2023 to celebrate her birthday with Combs and he told her they'd spend quality time together. When they went to dinner, Combs brought up plans for a 'hotel night,' and she reluctantly agreed to participate. Jane said the first man who showed up that she never met before felt like a stranger and it was upsetting. 'More of an invasive moment because it was my birthday and I didn't want to do this on my birthday,' she said, crying. After the man left, Jane and Combs moved to a different suite at the hotel and Combs 'shifted his energy' and became more loving. He had arranged for cake, flowers and balloons in the suite, and they had some alone time, she said. But then another man came to the room for sex, and then a third man. 'I acted like it was nothing, but inside I hated it,' she said, adding between tears that she acted that way because she loved Combs. On the stand, Jane grew very emotional while discussing the birthday. She heaved more than once as she cried, and prosecutor Maurene Comey asked her repeatedly if she needed a break. Each time Jane said no. At another point in her testimony, a box of tissues was passed to her in the witness box by the courtroom deputy. After that birthday, Combs left her in the room and went on a private vacation with another romantic interest, Jane testified. According to messages read aloud in court, she texted him, 'Why do you lie to me?' She wrote to him that she wanted to get off the 'hamster wheel' and said, 'I didn't want to do all of that on my birthday.' Jane said she and Combs were on a break for about a month after that, but got back together.
