Crime & Safety

Teenagers Sentenced for Hate Crimes

Hartford, Dasch and Pacheco face seven years, Overton six for assaulting Hispanics.

Four of the seven teenagers involved in the attack on Marcelo Lucero in 2008 that led to his murder were sentenced to prison terms of up to seven years each on Wednesday by State Supreme Court Justice Robert W. Doyle.

The four had already pled guilty to charges of gang assault in the first degree, attempted assault in the second degree as a hate crime and conspiracy in the fourth degree as they pertained to a series of attacks on Hispanic men that culminated in the stabbing of Lucero by co-defendant Jeffrey Conroy.
 
Anthony Hartford, 19, Jordan Dasch, 19, and Jose Pacheco, 19, will each serve a seven year sentence for charges of gang assault in the first degree, attempted assault in the second degree as a hate crime and conspiracy in the fourth degree.
 
Christopher Overton, 18, will serve a six year sentence for his charges, which also includes a separate 2006 East Patchogue burglary incident where his accomplice shot and killed the property owner. In the burglary case, Overton was charged as a juvenile offender.

All of the defendants will be under five years of post-release supervision upon completion of the sentence.
 
Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Megan O'Donnell had recommended 10-year sentences each for Hartford, Dasch and Pacheco, while a combined 14-year sentence was recommended for Overton for his involvement with both the attacks and the burglary.
 
Hartford, Dasch and Pacheco gave brief, apologetic statements before being sentenced. Overton declined comment.
 
"I made a mistake, I'm going to do my time," Dasch said.
 
The attorneys for each of the teenagers stated that, while not excusing the severity of the actions, their clients did not know that these consequences would have resulted from the attacks.
 
Joselo Lucero, brother of Marcelo Lucero, also appeared and spoke before the sentencing. Joselo Lucero said that each of the kids sought out the actions they committed and thought that no consequences would come of it.
 
"After 19 months, I want to make sure nothing like this happens in Patchogue," Joselo Lucero said. He also stated that he wanted good luck for each of the defendants, but that he also wanted justice.
 
At a press conference held after the group sentencing, Joselo Lucero did not comment when asked if he felt that the sentences were adequate but that he accepted the decisions that were made.
 
During the sentencing, held at Suffolk County Criminal Court in Riverhead, family members of each of the defendants passed tissues amongst each other and held each other for support. No emotional outbursts occurred during the sentencing, which was unlike the obscene screaming and tense environment seen at the May sentencing of co-defendant Jeffrey Conroy for the murder of Lucero.
 
According to the District Attorney's Office, Conroy is currently serving his 25-year sentence at Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, NY.
 
Two defendants remain to be sentenced; Kevin Shea, 18 of Medford, on Sept. 1 and Nicholas Hausch, 18 of Medford, on Oct. 14.


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