Sixth Teen Sentenced For Hate Crimes

A Medford teenager was sentenced to eight years behind bars for his role in the 2008 stabbing of Marcelo Lucero. Kevin Shea, 18, is the sixth person to be sent to prison for his involvement in the attack that ultimately led to Lucero's death.

Standing before State Supreme Court Justice Robert W. Doyle in a Riverhead courtroom, Shea apologized for his role in the incident saying, "It never should have happened." He previously pled guilty to charges of gang assault, conspiracy, assault as a hate crime and attempted assault.

Doyle's sentencing of Shea was less than the 15-year prison sentence sought by Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Megan O'Donnell, who said Shea was found to be the second most culpable of the seven teenagers involved in the attack on Lucero. Topping the culpability list in the case is Jeffery Conroy who is serving a 25-year prison term for manslaughter.

According to O'Donnell, Shea and Anthony Hartford were the initial aggressors in the attack and Shea was the person who threw the first punch at Lucero. Shea interrupted O'Donnell during the recommendation when she brought up as part of the behavior analysis to Doyle that Shea was arrested twice while incarcerated for assaulting an inmate and for engaging in a fight with a police officer. Shea stated that the charges were dismissed, but O'Donnell asserted that the dismissal was the result of a plea bargain and that they still had an effect on judging his character.

Shea's attorney Steven Politi said after the sentencing that he felt the prosecution twisted the facts and that his client took blame for the incident when he pled guilty.

Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said that while he didn't particularly like the sentence Shea received, that the judge was the ultimate arbiter and that they would respect the decision. Lucero's brother Joselo Lucero, who appeared but did not speak during the sentencing, said that he also respected the judge's decision.

Shea's eight-year sentence is the second longest of the six men who have been sentenced thus far. Conroy, who was convicted of the manslaughter of Lucero, received the longest at 25 years. Hartford, Nicholas Dasch and Jose Pacheco received seven years in prison and Christopher Overton received six years. Nicholas Hausch will be the last to face sentencing in the case on Oct. 14.