MINEOLA, NY – Ruben Diego Avila Huicab, a 33-year-old from North Carolina, has been sentenced to 40 years to life imprisonment for the murder of 40-year-old Ricardo Cardona in Hempstead in January 2021.
After a trial, which concluded on June 27, Huicab was convicted of second-degree murder and weapon possession charges.
The sentencing, handed down on Monday, includes 25 years to life for the murder and additional time for weapon possession, with some sentences to run concurrently.
The Nassau County District Attorney detailed the events leading to the murder, highlighting a dispute over work payment and tools.
Avila Huicab had enlisted a 16-year-old to carry out the shooting, which resulted in Cardona being fatally shot outside his home. The case was prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Michelle Lewisohn of the Homicide Bureau.