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David Trent

David Trent Pleaded Guilty in September 2024

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on Oct. 30 that David Trent, 19, of Mastic Beach, was sentenced to 28 years in prison after pleading guilty to Manslaughter in the First Degree, and other related charges, for shooting and killing Jorge Mauricio Sevilla Barrera and injuring two others outside of the Minx Nightclub in Farmingville, as well as the armed robbery of a Lyft driver that occurred in Wading River. Trent was one of 18 defendants indicted in December 2022 following a long-term investigation into violence committed by a criminal street organization, “No Fake Love,” also known as the “NFL.”

“We are satisfied that this lengthy sentence will keep this violent offender off the streets of Suffolk County,” said District Attorney Tierney. “This was a violent and brutal act and now this defendant will be held accountable for his indefensible actions.”

As established by the investigation and guilty plea allocution, on December 5, 2021, Trent, a member of the violent street gang No Fake Love, and his associates were gathered in the parking lot of the Minx nightclub in Farmingville. Jorge Mauricio Sevilla Barrera and his friends were walking through the parking lot after exiting the nightclub and an argument ensued. The argument turned physical, then Trent went to the vehicle that he arrived in, retrieved a firearm, and shot Barrera.

Trent and another individual then kicked Barrera while he was on the ground, before Trent stood over Barrera and shot him again, killing him. Trent and his associates then got into their vehicle and Trent leaned out of the window and fired multiple shots while the vehicle was fleeing the scene. Two additional victims suffered non-fatal injuries in the shooting.

Additionally, on April 13, 2022, Trent, along with co-conspirators Shati Roy, Jr. and Corey Foggy, ordered a Lyft rideshare car to an address in Wading River. When the driver arrived, Trent, Roy, and Foggy entered the rear of the vehicle. A short time into the trip, Roy reached over and repeatedly struck the driver about the head and body. Trent and Roy then both pointed guns at the driver’s head and stated to each other and the driver several times, “Shoot him! Get out of the car.” During this time, Foggy exited the vehicle and forcibly pulled the driver out of the vehicle, causing the driver to fall to the ground. Roy then jumped into the driver’s seat and drove off with Trent still in the rear. Roy then ripped out the dashboard camera and threw it onto the road (the camera was later recovered by investigators and captured the entire incident). Both Roy and Foggy have previously pleaded guilty for their roles in this robbery and carjacking.

On September 30, 2024, Trent pleaded guilty to the following charges before Acting Supreme Court Justice Anthony S. Senft, Jr.:

  •   One count of Manslaughter in the First Degree, a Class B violent felony;
  •   Two counts of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, Class B violent felonies;
  •   One count of Conspiracy to Commit Murder, a Class B felony;
  •   Two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, Class C violent

    felonies;

  •   One count of Robbery in the First Degree, a Class B violent felony; and
  •   One count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a Class D felony.

    On October 30, 2024, Justice Senft sentenced Trent to 28 years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision. He was represented by Christopher Gioe, Esq.

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Martha Duffy and Donald Barclay of the Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by District Attorney Investigator Jean Graf of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Gang Task Force.

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By Kenny Spurrell

After the removal of former head coach Chuck Priore in Nov. 2023, the Stony Brook football team has found his replacement in hopes that brighter days are ahead.

Finishing the 2023 season with an 0-10 record — the worst in program history — was not the way the Seawolves hoped to bounce back from 2022 that ended with a 2-9 finish. Just under a month after removing Priore, Stony Brook hired former Western Michigan University offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Billy Cosh to fill the role.

Cosh, 32, a resident of Smithtown, started his coaching career at Concord University in 2015, soon getting the position as a graduate assistant and quarterbacks coach for Indiana from 2016 to 2017. Cosh made the move to the Virginia Military Institute in 2018, serving as the wide receivers coach in 2018 and 2019, then getting promoted to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Cosh jumped to Richmond in 2022 where he led a top 20 offensive SP+ rating, advancing to the second round of the FCS playoffs in his lone season. After serving as offensive coordinator at Western Michigan for the 2023 season, Cosh was named the third head football coach in Stony Brook history. At 31 years old, he became the second-youngest current head coach in NCAA Division I football.

Coaching at Richmond in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) — the same conference as the Seawolves — Cosh said he has “always admired Stony Brook from afar.” In his first head coaching position, Cosh will look to pull the Seawolves out of the cellar.

“I knew this place has a chance,” Cosh said. “I knew they had the capability, so that’s kind of what attracted me to the job.”

Football is in Cosh’s blood. Bouncing around from place to place during his upbringing, he is the son of Chris Cosh who played linebacker for Virginia Tech from 1977 to 1981. Chris coached for 40 years at multiple FCS schools such as UNLV, Maryland, Michigan State, South Carolina and many more. He currently serves as an analyst at Western Michigan.

Billy Cosh (right) set to coach Seawolves football for the 2024 season. Courtesy Stony Brook Athletics

“I thought my dad had the coolest job in the world,” Cosh said. “I was like a sponge; I was around the game all the time. I got to see different players that played in the NFL and watched how they work and watched how coaches coached, it was really unique.”

Cosh was raised with his brother, James, who went on to play football at the United States Naval Academy from 2007 to 2011. James is currently a scout for the Chicago Bears in the NFL.

Being brought up around football, Cosh was destined to be a star on the field. Attending Arundel High School in Gambrills, Md. from 2006 to 2009, Cosh won the job of starting quarterback his junior year. He went on to break seven state records that season including most passing yards (3,909) and touchdowns (56), but it paled in comparison to his senior season.

Cosh’s senior year was special, throwing for 3,913 yards and 56 touchdowns. He set Maryland state records for career completions (594), passing yards (7,433) and touchdowns (112), finishing his high school career with a 22-3 record and leaving college coaches clamoring to have him on their team.

Though Cosh’s achievements on the field spoke for themselves, he credits playing with future NFL wide receivers RJ Harris and Alec Lemon for much of his success at Arundel.

“That kind of made a big difference,” Cosh said. “I wasn’t a great player, but I was very appreciative of the guys around me.”

When the college recruitment process came around, the choice was rather simple for Cosh. At the time, his father was the defensive coordinator at Kansas State University. A chance to play at a Big 12 school and have his father guide the way was too good for Cosh to pass on, deciding to play college football as a Wildcat.

Unfortunately, when things seem too good to be true, they often are. Cosh’s coaches opted to give him a freshman redshirt his first season at Kansas State, meaning he would be sidelined and not see action the entire season.

Looking ahead to his sophomore season, Cosh realized there may not be an opportunity for him to play anytime soon. With three quarterbacks on the roster that were returning the following season, all of them were ahead of him on the depth chart. He was paid a visit by James Madison University’s head coach Mickey Matthews who told Cosh he would have a better opportunity playing for him, so Cosh made the move.

Transferring to James Madison for his sophomore year hoping that he would have the chance to play, Cosh’s wishes were not answered. Again, Cosh was at the bottom of the depth chart and did not see action the entire season, later claiming that the move from Kansas State was one that he regretted.

“I really made a rash decision to leave, Coach [Bill] Snyder told me I would regret it, and he was right in some ways,” Cosh said. “I went [to James Madison] and was kind of told I wasn’t good enough, which was probably true, I wasn’t the greatest player, but I was never really given a shot.”

Cosh realized that he would have to step down a level if he wanted to get any real playing time, opting to transfer again, this time to Butler Community College in the NJCAA. Making the move in hopes to impress scouts and get back to the Division I level, Cosh did just that.

Stony Brook football is set to open the 2024 season on Aug. 31 at Marshall University in West Virginia. Courtesy Stony Brook Athletics

Stepping down a level gave Cosh the opportunity to see the field, but the talent pool in the NJCAA was very deep. He played with “12 to 15” future NFL players and against current All-Pro players such as Tyreek Hill, Alvin Kamara and Cordarrelle Patterson.

Cosh’s lone junior college season was described as a “rebirth” for him by Butler head coach Troy Morrell. He turned heads by throwing for 2,856 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2012, but he would soon face another obstacle. Cosh tore his ACL in the NJCAA junior college championship game and lost to Iowa Western, 27-7.

Despite the sour ending, Cosh reflects on his time at Butler fondly.

“I loved that time,” Cosh said. “I loved my teammates. I loved the coaching staff … so that was awesome.”

Despite the injury, Cosh had impressed college scouts enough to receive some offers. He committed to the University of Houston before the conclusion of the 2012 season, successfully making his way back to the NCAA Division I level.

However, Cosh soon faced another roadblock. His commitment to Houston came before the injury to his knee, something that he thought would lead the team to pulling his scholarship. To Cosh’s surprise, the Cougars chose to keep him around.

Still rehabbing his ACL tear, Cosh missed the entire 2013 season due to injury. He made his debut in 2014, and though he only saw the field three times at Houston, he was able to end his college career on his terms, not others’.

Though Cosh’s time at Houston was underwhelming on the field, it was where he met his wife, Kelsey.

Being around the game of football his entire life, Cosh has faced plenty of adversity throughout his career. Due to these challenges, it makes sense that Stony Brook Athletic Director Shawn Heilbron believes that Cosh is the man for the job to bring the Seawolves back to relevance.

Kenny Spurrell is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.

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By Rich Acritelli

Legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi once said: “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.”

Former Port Jefferson Station teacher and coach Tom Hespos holds the words of Lombardi near and dear to him, even reciting them to his former business class students at Comsewogue High School. A three-sport athlete, Hespos had the honor of playing for Lombardi in 1964 before being cut from the Packers’ training team.

Tom Hespos playing for C.W. Post. Photo from Rich Acritelli

Raised in North Bergen, New Jersey, the quarterback and linebacker gained local success for more than his skills on the gridiron. He played baseball and basketball and was coached in the Babe Ruth League by his father, who was also a noted semiprofessional pitcher for the Jersey Blue Sox. Hespos’ mother was known for playing competitive softball.

During his senior year at St. Joseph of the Palisades High School, he captained his football team and performed well, but didn’t see as much time behind two of northern New Jersey’s top quarterbacks. Hespos turned down the chance to toss his mean curveball for the Boston Red Sox and headed to what was then called C.W. Post on scholarship where he played football and majored in business administration.

As a freshman, Hespos blossomed to 6’2’’, 205 pounds and quickly found the Pioneers wanted to take advantage of his passing skills. He took over as starting quarterback his sophomore year and was known for his 80-yard passes downfield.

During a 1964 contest, C.W. Post upset Northeastern University, defeating them 31-10. It was in that game Hespos, then a senior, made history, becoming the first quarterback in school history to reach 400 passing yards in a single game. He completed 22 of 30 passes and threw four touchdowns in the win. By the end of his collegiate career, he also amassed more than 2,000 passing yards, also a first. That year he was selected to the All-Eastern College Athletic Conference Small College Team and the Little All-America Team. He was named the team’s Most Valuable Player in 1963 and 1964 and was captain in 1964. Hespos was the first quarterback to lead C.W. Post to a victory over arch-rival Hofstra University in 1963.

Hespos was said to inspire his team to achieve the Hofstra win, but he credited his teammates.

“They made few mistakes, accepted a team-first mentality,” he said. “I appreciated the big linemen that the coaches placed on the offensive line to adequately protect me.”

For years, Hespos held all of the quarterback records for the Pioneers, that is, until Glen Cove-native Gary
Wichard entered the picture. Wichard was a two-time All-American, professional quarterback for the Baltimore Colts and  was a famous sports agent, who was said to be the inspiration for the main character in the movie Jerry Maguire. 

“They call it coaching, but it is teaching. You do not just tell them … you show them the reasons.”

— Vince Lombardi

Following his senior season, Hespos received letters from professional American and Canadian football organizations inquiring about signing him to a free agent deal. He ended up choosing the Packers, and signed with a modest bonus before being invited to training camp.

Lombardi, a Brooklyn native and former member of the Fordham University football team coached football and basketball at St. Cecilia High School, where he also taught Latin and physics, not far from Hespos’ roots in North Bergen. The coach attended every meeting between the offensive coaches and the quarterbacks, and Hespos recalled the stature of this respected teacher, noting he was “demanding,” and that he expected all his players to “produce.”  

“He had an agile memory that knew everything about every player that was on the field,” Hespos said.

The Port Jefferson Station teacher threw passes next to future Hall of Famer Bart Starr. One of seven quarterbacks invited to train, he was ultimately cut behind Starr’s backup Zeke Bratkowski.

After he left Green Bay, Hespos played for a minor league football organization within the Atlantic Coast League. He was signed by the Jersey City Jets, which had former players that also had professional experience in United States and Canada.

Like at C.W. Post, Hespos was a key member of his squad and helped it win a league championship.  After injuring his shoulder for a second time, Hespos was forced to put his football career behind him. By 1969, he began working at John F. Kennedy High School on Jane Boulevard in Port Jefferson Station. Well before this school received the name Comsewogue Warriors, Hespos coached the Spartans in football, baseball and basketball. In the early 1970s, he was hired to coach football in Sea Cliff for North Shore High School. While this was a long distance from his regular job, this position allowed Hespos the opportunity to coach with his teammates from C.W. Post, who he’d also formed with in a doo-wop group called Spider and the Webs. The group performed in the same venues that also featured The Times and The Duprees. In 1965, they sang at the World’s Fair in Flushing Meadow. Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller recognized the spirit of the group with a certificate.

During Hespos’ three years with North Shore, he helped lead the team to three league titles and a county championship.

Tom Hespos wearing his old Spiders & Webs T-shirt. Photo from Rich Acritelli

In 1975, Hespos began coaching Comsewogue’s varsity baseball team, which instantly became one of the most competitive teams in the county. By 1982, his program reached the pinnacle of excellence with a 27-4 record and winning the state title. Over seven years, Hespos’ teams, which won five league titles, a county title ad Long Island crown before the state nod, regularly won more than 80 percent of its games.

Following the state win, Hespos left coaching to begin Greenway Lawn Sprinklers, which serviced homes from Port Jefferson Station to Montauk and Orient Point.

Hespos’ athletic prowess was further awarded when he was inducted into six halls of fame, including the Hudson County, New Jersey and C.W. Post athletic halls of fame. His 1982 baseball team is also recognized on the Comsewogue Wall of Honor.

“They call it coaching, but it is teaching,” Hespos said recalling the words of Lombardi. “You do not just tell them … you show them the reasons.”

He said even before meeting his acclaimed Packers coach he was moved to become a teacher from some of his former ones.

“I will always remember the coaches and the mentors I had back then,” he said. “The coaches I had at St. Joseph challenged me, motivated me and inspired me.”

Hespos moved to Wading River before heading down to Port St. Lucie, Florida, where he still lives. He is a father of two and grandfather of six, and enjoys fishing, playing golf and watching the New York Mets at their minor league baseball complex.

Rich Acritelli is a social studies teacher at Rocky Point High School and an adjunct professor of American history at Suffolk County Community College.

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Firefighters place caps over hearts in memory of those lost during the Setauket Fire District's 9/11 Memorial Commemoration Sept. 11th. Photo by Greg Catalano,

On the 15th anniversary of the terror attacks on Sept. 11, we reminisce about how on that day, and for so many days that followed, we felt united as a country. A persistent theme when discussing the events is that the aftermath of the attacks brought us closer together as a nation. Our editorial staff would argue that 15 years removed means we still reside in the aftermath, and the legacy of 9/11 is still being written.

If we continue to splinter along party and racial lines, ties that bound us together in a time of horrible tragedy will simply be forgotten.

There was evidence that immediately following the events, we grew closer as a nation. Stories proliferated about long lines of blood donors, American flags flew everywhere — on front porches and cars — people took the time to help one another and civility ruled the day. And as we observed memorial events throughout the past weekend, communities still came together in harmony and with pride.

The initial feelings of solidarity as a reaction to the horrific events were real. However, we would hope that 15 years later, this feeling of unity would continue to apply to more issues.

After visiting classrooms and speaking with teachers, some of whom are now educating children who were born after that day in 2001 or are too young to remember it, the theme of unity struck a chord with them as well.

Our editorial staff wonders how America right now must look to those same students. They can turn on the news and witness divisiveness in an unfathomably ugly election season or see an NFL player being both heavily criticized and highly praised for kneeling during the national anthem. Do we still seem united?

While we feel a sense of togetherness on the anniversary of that day, as we recall the tremendous loss of innocents, or remember those who risked their lives to save others and think of those out there fighting to protect this country, there is still an overwhelming sense that we are growing further and further apart.

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Victor Ochi, right, races toward the quarterback in a game for Stony Brook last season. File photo from SBU

Victor Ochi realized his dream on Saturday evening when the senior member of the 2015 Stony Brook University football team signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League.

If he makes the team, Ochi would join former Seawolves teammate Will Tye as an active player in the NFL. Tye, the first SBU graduate to play on the big field, earned NFL All-Rookie honors as a tight end on the New York Giants roster in 2015 after making the squad as an undrafted free agent.

Ochi, a 2015 All-America selection and the Colonial Athletic Association co-Defensive Player of the Year, led the nation with 13 sacks through the regular season and was top in the CAA with 16.5 tackles for a loss. For the 2015 season, the Valley Stream native recorded 47 tackles in the Seawolves’ 10 games, including his 13 sacks — the second most in a single season in the program’s history. He also had four games with at least two sacks, including 3.5 against the University of New Hampshire.

During the 2015 season, Ochi became Stony Brook’s career leader in both sacks and tackles for loss. He collected 32.5 sacks and 49 tackles for a loss in four seasons.

In addition, he made a splash at the 2016 East-West Shrine game in January and turned some NFL scouts’ heads after being invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in February.

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Will Tye celebrates as he competes for Stony Brook University. File photo from SBU
Will Tye competes for Stony Brook University. File photo from SBU
Will Tye competes for Stony Brook University. File photo from SBU

Former Stony Brook University tight end Will Tye made history on Sunday when he became the first former Seawolves player to appear in a game in the National Football League. Tye was signed to the New York Giants’ active roster off the franchise’s practice squad on Saturday.

The tight end made his debut in the first quarter and was in on multiple plays, including being the target of Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning on a passing play in the second quarter. In the game, he caught the ball three times for 40 yards.

The Middletown, Conn., native played for Florida State University before transferring to Stony Brook. He played in 23 games for the Seawolves and pulled down 79 catches for 1,015 yards and nine touchdowns in his two seasons. He also returned 30 punts for 166 yards.

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