Andrew Yannello, a 29-year-old resident of Tonawanda, New York, has pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography after a previous conviction for sexual abuse under New York law. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo. Yannello entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, with the possibility of up to 20 years and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango provided details on Yannello’s criminal history, stating that in September 2014 he was convicted of Attempted Sexual Abuse in the First Degree in New York State Court and sentenced to 10 years’ probation. In November 2017, after violating probation, Yannello received a sentence of one and one-third to three years in prison.
The most recent charges stem from an investigation that began when authorities discovered Yannello had uploaded child pornography files to Facebook and distributed them to other users on the platform. On August 23, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant at his residence where they seized a cell phone, laptop computer, and desktop computer—all containing images and videos of child pornography. Some materials depicted prepubescent minors as well as the sexual abuse of infants or toddlers and included violent content.
U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo said: “The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto.”
Sentencing for Yannello is set for March 2, 2026 at 9:30 a.m., before Judge Vilardo.
