Sentenced

Yonkers Burglar Sentenced to Nine Years for Failing to Appear in Court

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Burglar Sentenced to Nine Years for Failing to Appear in Court

**Goshen, NY** – Oscar Castillo, a Yonkers resident, was sentenced to nine years in prison on Monday following his guilty plea to second-degree burglary in Orange County Court last year. After pleading guilty in February 2023, Castillo did not return for sentencing, leading to a warrant for his arrest.

In court documents, it was revealed that Castillo was involved in a burglary on November 18, 2017, at a house on Cardinal Drive in Washingtonville. Two men broke into the house, confronted by the homeowner, who reported that they were masked, armed with a shotgun, and impersonated FBI agents. A physical altercation ensued, resulting in the homeowner’s injury.

Washingtonville Police, with the New York State Police Forensic Investigation Center, conducted a crime scene analysis where DNA evidence matched Castillo. Castillo was apprehended on July 2, 2021, in Westchester County, with the help of New York State Parole.

District Attorney David M. Hoovler expressed gratitude to the Washingtonville Police and other involved agencies for their collaborative efforts. The case against Castillo is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Peter Fernandez and

Former Nurse Practitioner Sentenced for Fraudulent Prescriptions

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Former Nurse Practitioner Sentenced for Fraudulent Prescriptions

**HARRISBURG, PA** – A former certified registered nurse practitioner from western Pennsylvania received a sentence Thursday of 11.5 to 23 months, followed by 8 years of probation. Joseph G. Sapp, 56, was penalized for writing fraudulent prescriptions for thousands of Oxycodone pills.

Sapp had previously admitted guilt to charges, which include possession with intent to deliver, Medicaid fraud, and forgery. The Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigations and Medicaid Fraud Control Unit discovered that Sapp wrote prescriptions filled in Westmoreland, Allegheny, Fayette, and Washington counties.

Sapp issued prescriptions for himself and others in exchange for money, thereby defrauding Medicaid. According to Attorney General Michelle Henry, Sapp failed to uphold his professional responsibilities and contributed to the opioid epidemic by facilitating access to Oxycodone.

The investigation received support from multiple agencies, including the Penn Township Police Department, the Westmoreland County Drug Task Force, the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Office, and the DEA. Sapp admitted to exploiting Medicaid to submit false prescription claims and illegally acquiring prescriptions under false identities. The prosecution was led by Senior

Queens Man Sentenced for 2021 Fatal Shooting

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Queens Man Sentenced for 2021 Fatal Shooting

**Queens, NY** – Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the sentencing of Waturi Johnson to 24 years to life in prison for the 2021 shooting death of Uriah Richardson. Richardson, a father of three, was shot midday outside the Mott Avenue A train station in Far Rockaway. The men were strangers.

District Attorney Katz stated that Johnson shot Richardson in broad daylight on a public street before fleeing to another state, where he was later apprehended. Katz emphasized that the sentence serves as justice for Richardson and his family.

Johnson, aged 54, residing on Beach 30th Street in Far Rockaway, was convicted by a jury in June. He faced charges of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon following a two-week trial, after a jury deliberation of approximately four hours.

Justice Kenneth Holder sentenced Johnson to 24 years to life for the murder charge, with additional concurrent sentences of 15 years for each weapon possession charge. The incident, captured on surveillance video, occurred on October 4, 2021, at around 1 p.m. near a taxi stand close to the Mott Avenue A train station. Johnson

Asbury Park Man Sentenced in 2022 Ocean County Killing

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Asbury Park Man Sentenced in 2022 Ocean County Killing

**FREEHOLD, NJ** – An Asbury Park man has been sentenced to life imprisonment plus an additional 46 years for the 2022 killing of an Ocean County resident, as announced by Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago on Friday. Jaszhark A. Rogers, 38, received the sentence for first-degree murder, first-degree felony murder, first-degree armed robbery, first-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, and three second-degree weapons charges.

Rogers was convicted on August 16, and sentenced on Friday before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Joseph W. Oxley. His sentence includes life imprisonment plus two additional 18-year sentences for armed robbery and weapons charges, along with a consecutive 10-year sentence for the Certain Persons Not to Have Weapons charge.

The incident occurred on June 18, 2022, when Asbury Park Police found 26-year-old Yahnie Patterson of Lakewood severely injured on Washington Avenue. Patterson was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries on June 21, 2022.

An investigation showed Rogers and Shakri A. Prince, also of Asbury Park,

Julian Santiago Cortes Camelo Sentenced for Burglary

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Julian Santiago Cortes Camelo Sentenced for Burglary

**New Windsor, NY** – On Wednesday, Julian Santiago Cortes Camelo, 24, from Queens, received a four-year prison sentence followed by five years of post-release supervision. Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler revealed the sentencing in relation to Camelo’s guilty plea to Burglary in the Second Degree.

Court documents highlighted that Camelo, alongside two co-defendants, entered a New Windsor residence illegally on February 2. The defendants fled upon police arrival but were caught nearby, where the stolen items were also recovered. Camelo confessed during his plea to entering with the intent to commit a crime.

District Attorney Hoovler commended the New Windsor Police Department’s prompt investigation and arrests. He emphasized the prosecution’s commitment to tackling violent felonies and ensuring community safety.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Christopher Kelly is handling the case prosecution. Defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt during trial.

Brooklyn Man Sentenced for Teen’s Murder in Prospect Park South

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Brooklyn Man Sentenced for Teen’s Murder in Prospect Park South

**Brooklyn, NY** – Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced that a man from Flatbush has been sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for the murder of a teenager in Prospect Park South in 2020. The incident involved the defendant pulling a knife and fatally stabbing the 19-year-old victim in the chest.

Mamadou Barry, 35, was identified as the defendant and sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Rhonda Tomlinson. Barry was found guilty of second-degree murder on October 16 following a jury trial.

Evidence presented revealed that on February 18, 2020, at approximately 7:30 p.m., Barry and the victim, both Senegalese immigrants, were with friends in Prospect Park South. Barry, also known as “Zion,” attacked the victim, Mamadou Bah, with a knife, causing fatal injuries.

The victim fled to a barbershop seeking help, where he was later transported to Kings County Hospital but succumbed to his injuries. Police identified Barry through surveillance, witnesses, and social media, leading to his arrest on December 1, 2020, in Secaucus, New Jersey.

Brooklyn Man Sentenced for Attempted Murder in Drive-By Shooting

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Brooklyn Man Sentenced for Attempted Murder in Drive-By Shooting

**Brooklyn, NY** – A Brooklyn man received a 10-year prison sentence on Thursday after pleading guilty to second-degree attempted murder. The charges stem from a 2021 incident where he fired at an Uber Eats driver during a random drive-by shooting.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced that Laquan Battle, 28, from New Lots, Brooklyn, was sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Jane Tully. The defendant also faces five years of post-release supervision after pleading guilty on September 25.

The incident occurred on December 5, 2021, around 11:45 p.m. on Pacific Street in Crown Heights. The victim, a 22-year-old driver, was in his Toyota when Battle allegedly fired approximately four shots from a red Kia, hitting the victim’s car and another parked vehicle.

Detectives from the 77th precinct traced the car’s license plate through surveillance video, leading them to identify Battle as the shooter. He was apprehended in Jonesboro, Georgia, in May 2022 and subsequently brought back to New York.

Lance White-Hunt Sentenced for Jamaica Home Invasion

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Lance White-Hunt Sentenced for Jamaica Home Invasion

**Queens, NY** – Lance White-Hunt has been sentenced after admitting guilt to identity theft, offering a false instrument for filing, and tampering with physical evidence. He unlawfully occupied a home in Jamaica, presenting forged leasing documents to claim tenancy. As part of the sentence, White-Hunt is required to pay restitution covering the homeowner’s legal fees and property damages.

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz emphasized that removing squatters is a priority for her office, noting the defendant’s legal challenge against the homeowner in this case. Katz expressed satisfaction with the case brought by her Housing and Worker Protection Bureau, which led to White-Hunt’s guilty plea to three felonies. The sentence includes restitution and 20 days of community service.

White-Hunt, a 24-year-old from Brooklyn, received his sentence Monday from Supreme Court Justice Toni Cimino: five years’ probation and $3,900 in restitution. The guilty plea was entered on September 26.

The case began on February 23, when a property owner listed the Jamaica home for rent via Top Nest Properties. A broker noticed continuous vacancy until March 1, when the locks were altered. Police inquiries revealed White-H

New York Man Sentenced for Jersey City Homicide

New york city police officers on scene

New York Man Sentenced for Jersey City Homicide

**New York, NY** – Justin Goris, 20, from Queens, New York, has been sentenced to 15 years in New Jersey State Prison. This judgment was handed down for the death of Devin Bryant, a 15-year-old from Jersey City, which occurred in February 2022.

The sentencing was delivered on Monday by the Honorable Judge Mitchell Pascual. Goris had previously pleaded guilty to Aggravated Manslaughter on July 31. Under the No Early Release Act, Goris is ineligible for parole until 85 percent of his sentence is served.

The incident took place on February 12, 2022, when Jersey City Police responded to reports of gunshots at 112 Myrtle Avenue. Officials discovered Bryant with a gunshot wound, who was later declared dead at around 9:10 p.m. The medical examiner confirmed the cause of death as a gunshot wound to the abdomen and ruled it a homicide.

Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Dennis Murray represented the state in this case. Goris was initially charged as a juvenile but was later waived to the Criminal Division.

Pennsylvania Man Sentenced for Child Sex Abuse in Maryland

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Pennsylvania Man Sentenced for Child Sex Abuse in Maryland

**Frederick, MD** – Rory Littleton Sanders, a 44-year-old from Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 25 years in the Maryland Division of Corrections, with 20 years to be served without suspension, for the sex abuse of a minor. The sentencing was handed down by Judge Scott Rolle in Frederick County Circuit Court on Monday for conduct occurring in Frederick County, Maryland, between 2010 and 2014.

The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Sanders in July 2021 after a report to Pennsylvania authorities about offenses in both states. Sanders admitted to these crimes. He already pled guilty to forcible rape and three counts of corruption of a minor in Pennsylvania, for which he began serving a 13-26 year sentence prior to his extradition to Maryland.

On July 31, Sanders entered a plea of guilty to one count of child sex abuse before Judge Rolle. His sentencing in Maryland was initially postponed to Monday. State’s Attorney Charlie Smith emphasized the lasting impact of such offenses on victims and affirmed that incarceration is only the beginning of the victims’ recovery.

Judge Rolle specified that the Maryland sentence will run consecutively after Sanders’ Pennsylvania sentence

Barnegat Man Sentenced for Cocaine and Handgun Charges

Bars from a prison jail cast a shadow on the floro.

Barnegat Man Sentenced for Cocaine and Handgun Charges

**Barnegat, NJ** – Clifford Holland, 48, of Barnegat, received a prison sentence on Friday following his guilty pleas to drug and weapons charges. Judge Dina M. Vicari sentenced Holland to three years in New Jersey State Prison for possession with intent to distribute less than half an ounce of cocaine. Additionally, he received a 10-year sentence, with a five-year parole ineligibility, for unlawful possession of a handgun.

The charges stem from a February 23 incident in Barnegat. During a narcotics investigation, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Gunning River Road. Police seized cocaine and a .22 caliber revolver.

Holland had been detained since his arrest on that date. He entered his guilty pleas on September 9 before the same judge. The sentences will be served concurrently.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer commended Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke and various law enforcement agencies. The coordinated effort led to the successful prosecution and sentencing of Holland.