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Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney

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Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. Photo from Tierney's office

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney on Dec. 8 announced that Ralph Pergola, 44, and Kristen Allen, 35, both undomiciled, were each indicted for alleged multiple counts of Burglary and other related charges, after allegedly breaking into and stealing from six small business in Suffolk County, including smoke shops, diners, a café, and a bagel shop, in less than a month’s time.

“Small businesses are the heart and soul of Suffolk County,” said District Attorney Tierney. “My office is dedicated to ensuring our local businesses thrive by rigorously prosecuting criminals who would pillage and steal from them.”

According to the investigation, from September 30, 2023 to October 23, 2023, between midnight and 5 a.m., Pergola and Allen allegedly burglarized multiple commercial businesses. To gain entry into the commercial establishments, Pergola would allegedly smash the glass door with a rock. Once the glass shattered, Pergola and Allen would allegedly enter the business to steal items. In total, the defendants allegedly stole approximately $1,500 in cash, cigarettes, candy, and an iPad.

Pergola is accused of burglarizing the following commercial business:
 September 30, 2023 – Heritage Diner, 275 Route 25A, Mount Sinai.

Pergola and Allen are accused of burglarizing the following commercial businesses, together:
 October 19, 2023 – Setauket Village Diner, 238 Route 25A, East Setauket.
 October 19, 2023 – Café Spiga, 176-8 North Country Road, Mount Sinai.
 October 21, 2023 – Smoke Shop and Hookah, 115 Mark Tree Road, Centereach.
 October 22, 2023 – Port Smoke, 683 Old Town Road, Port Jefferson.
 October 23, 2023 – Better on a Bagel, 25 Gibbs Road, Coram.

Pergola and Allen were arrested by members of the Suffolk County Police Department on October
23, 2023.

Pergola was indicted for:
 Six counts of Burglary in the Third Degree, Class D felonies;
 Five counts of Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree, Class E felonies;
 One count of Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree, a Class A misdemeanor; and
 One count of Loitering in the First Degree, a Class B misdemeanor.

Allen was indicted for:
 Five counts of Burglary in the Third Degree, Class D felonies; and
 One count of Loitering in the First Degree, a Class B misdemeanor.

On November 28, 2023, Allen was arraigned on the indictment before Acting Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Anthony S. Senft, Jr. Justice Senft placed her on supervised release with GPS conditions. Allen is being represented by The Legal Society. She is due back in court on January 5, 2024.

On December 8, 2023, Pergola was arraigned on indictment. Judge Senft placed Pergola on supervised release with GPS conditions. Pergola is being represented by John Halverson, Esq. He is due back in court on January 17, 2024. If convicted, both defendants face up to two and one-third to seven years in prison on each burglary charge.

This case was indicted by Assistant District Attorney Patrick Mullen of the Grand Jury Unit and is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Keri J. Wasson of the Major Crime Bureau.

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Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. Photo from Tierney's office

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney and New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli on Oct.  12 announced the arrest of former Town of Huntington employee Moses K. Johnson, 63, of Huntington, for allegedly stealing his mother’s public pension payments following her death in April 2021.

“The New York State Retirement Fund is funded by the hard work of hundreds of thousands of public sector employees, and provides retirement security for over one million members,” said District Attorney Tierney. “My Office will investigate and prosecute anyone who is alleged to have stolen from this vital resource.”

“Mr. Johnson allegedly took advantage of his mother’s death to pocket tens of thousands of dollars he was not entitled to,” said New York State Comptroller DiNapoli. “Thanks to my investigators and Suffolk County District Attorney Tierney, he is being held accountable for his crime. My office will continue to work with law enforcement agencies across the state and country to protect the New York State pension system from fraud.”

The arrest is the result of a joint investigation by the Suffolk County District Attorney and the Office of the New York State Comptroller. According to the investigation, Johnson’s mother died on April 16, 2021.

Johnson allegedly failed to notify the bank or the New York State and Local Retirement System of his mother’s death. Instead, Johnson continued to collect and spend her pension payments. Between April 30, 2021, and June 30, 2022, Johnson allegedly collected a total of 15 unauthorized payments totaling $56,411.37. The stolen funds were traced from Johnson’s mother’s bank account into his bank account, which he allegedly then spent.

Johnson previously worked for the Town of Huntington for over 30 years, and worked in the recycling center until his retirement in 2017. As a member of the state retirement system, Johnson should have been aware of the pension process, and known his mother’s payments should have been stopped with her death.

On October 11, 2023, Johnson was arrested by investigators of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, and arraigned before Suffolk County District Court Judge, the Honorable Anna Acqafredda, for one count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a Class C felony. Judge Acqafredda released Johnson on his own recognizance during the pendency of the case. Johnson is due back in court on October 25, 2023.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Amanda Scheier of the Public Corruption Bureau, with investigative assistance from Assistant Special Investigator Chris Castle of the District Attorney’s Public Corruption Squad.

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Alejandro Vargas-Diaz

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on Oct, 11 that Alejandro Vargas-Diaz, 41, of Port Jefferson, was sentenced to 23 years to life in prison plus five years of post-release supervision after pleading guilty in July to Murder in the Second Degree and other related charges, for the 2018 fatal shooting of 27-year-old Albert Luis Rodriguez-Lopez.

“This sentence should be a warning to all those who think they could escape responsibility for murder simply by fleeing the jurisdiction,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Law enforcement in Suffolk County does not forget. Your crimes will catch up to you and you will be held responsible for your actions. This defendant’s prison sentence attests to that.”

According to court documents and the defendant’s statements during his guilty plea allocution, on July 22, 2018, Vargas-Diaz and the victim got into an argument inside a pool hall in Port Jefferson. During the argument, the victim punched Vargas-Diaz in the face, knocking him to the ground. A short time later, Vargas-Diaz ambushed the victim inside the pool hall, and shot the victim in the back, neck, and shoulder. The victim, a father of three and resident of Selden, died at the scene. Vargas-Diaz immediately fled and absconded from New York state.

One month after the murder, members of Suffolk County Police Department found the murder weapon, a 9 mm pistol, hidden in a tree at the Setauket Port Jefferson Greenway Trail.

On June 18, 2021, nearly three years after the fatal shooting, Vargas-Diaz was arrested by members of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office in Florida after a tip to crime stoppers. Vargas-Diaz was extradited back to Suffolk County on November 11, 2021, to be arraigned on the charges related to the murder.

On July 24, 2023, Vargas-Diaz pleaded guilty before Acting Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Steven A. Pilewski, to Murder in the Second Degree, a Class A violent felony, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a Class C violent felony.

On October 11, 2023, Justice Pilewski sentenced Vargas-Diaz to 23 years to life in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision. He was represented by Christopher Brocato, Esq.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Elena Tomaro of the Homicide Bureau and Carlos J. Benitez II of the Major Crime Bureau, with investigative assistance from the Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad and Sergeant Norberto Flores of the Internal Affairs Unit.

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Photo from TOB Dan Panico Facebook

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on May 24 that Fabio Monasterolo, 51, and his wife, Judith Monasterolo, 55, of Holbrook, are accused of unlawfully disposing of broken cinderblocks and concrete in the Town of Brookhaven near tidal wetlands.

“Using our precious wetlands as a personal junkyard is as selfish as it is destructive,” said District Attorney Tierney. “This flagrant abuse of our delicate ecosystem is a crime against our wildlife and every law-abiding taxpayer who supports these public lands.”

“Illegal dumping in our wetlands is a crime in the Town of Brookhaven that we take very seriously. Those who commit these crimes will be caught, charged and prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” said Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Edward Romaine. “I commend the brave actions of the resident who took it upon themselves to photograph and report this activity to the Suffolk County Police. Together, we are committed to protecting our environment and we will not tolerate illegal dumping happening anywhere in the Town.”

“DEC does not tolerate illegal dumping of any kind particularly in Long Island’s ecologically important wetland areas,” said New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos. “This joint effort by DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officers and Investigators, the town of Brookhaven, and detectives from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team is a prime example of how joint cooperation between state and local law enforcement agencies can hold polluters accountable.”

According to the investigation, on April 23, 2023, at approximately 2:03 p.m., the Monasterolos were observed allegedly illegally dumping solid waste, which included broken chunks of concrete and cinderblocks, from their black Dodge Ram pick-up truck, into the wetlands adjacent to the intersection of Jefferson Drive and Grove Road in Mastic Beach. That intersection and the surrounding areas are owned by the Town of Brookhaven and abut a tidal wetland. When a witness saw what the defendants were doing, she began taking several photographs of the couple and the waste that they had dumped. Defendant Judith Monasterolo, who was in the passenger seat of the Dodge Ram, allegedly then gave this witness two middle fingers as Fabio Monasterolo drove them away from the scene.

Pursuant to the District Attorney’s Quality-of-Life Town Coalition initiative, Brookhaven Town Officials contacted the District Attorney’s Office and provided the photographic evidence and information regarding the dumping crime. Detectives from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team (BEAST) immediately began an investigation. The defendants were subsequently arrested on May 1, 2023. The Town of Brookhaven initiated the remediation of the protected site.

On May 23, 2023, both defendants were arraigned on the charges by the Honorable Mary Mullen for the crimes of Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree, a Class E felony, and multiple related Environmental Conservation violations. Under current New York State law, the offenses charged are not considered bail eligible, so the defendants were released on their own recognizance. The defendants are due back in court on June 13, 2023. Fabio Monasterolo and Judith Monasterolo are being represented by Jorge Macias, Esq.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney John Sciandra of the Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team (BEAST), with investigative assistance from Suffolk County BEAST Detective Walter Justinic, DEC Environmental Conservation Officer Timothy Day, and DEC Environmental Conservation Investigator Jeremy Eastwood.

 

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Asia Leaphart
Shamiqwa Dixon
Devonte Jennings
Tyjanea Weaver
Naikeya Terry

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney has announced that Asia Leaphart, 26, of Deer Park; Shamiqwa Dixon, 28, of Coram; Devonte Jennings, 24, of Wyandanch; Tyjanea Weaver, 23, of Wyandanch; and Naikeya Terry, 41, of Wyandanch have all pleaded guilty and been sentenced for their roles in  a string of retail thefts at Ulta Beauty stores in East Farmingdale, Commack, and Patchogue in 2021 and 2022.  

“These individuals operated together in groups and wreaked havoc on businesses across Suffolk  County by taking things that did not belong to them,” said District Attorney Tierney. “We will  continue to investigate and prosecute those who commit these quality-of-life crimes that threaten  the livelihood of our residents and businesses. In Suffolk County there are consequences for  stealing other people’s property. You will go to jail.”

On November 19, 2021, DIXON, LEAPHART, JENNINGS, TERRY and WEAVER, were  observed exiting an Ulta Beauty store in East Farmingdale with over $4,000 worth of fragrances  that they did not pay for. The incident was captured on the store’s video surveillance system.  

On March 1, 2022, DIXON, JENNINGS, and TERRY entered an Ulta Beauty store in North  Patchogue, loaded approximately $2,700 worth of fragrances into bags, and left the store without  paying. The incident was caught on the store’s security camera. 

On May 7, 2022, LEAPHART and CECIL MCHUGH, were allegedly observed by Suffolk County  Police Department plain clothes detectives stealing nearly $4,000 worth of perfume and cologne  at the Ulta Beauty store in East Farmingdale. While attempting to apprehend the pair, the detectives  used two vehicles to block LEAPHART’s 2013 black Nissan Altima so she could not leave the  parking lot and ordered her to stop. LEAPHART ignored their commands and reversed her vehicle  into an unmarked police car behind her, causing one of the detectives to sustain neck, back and leg  injuries. LEAPHART then accelerated at a high rate of speed toward the other unmarked police  car parked in front of her, plowed into the driver’s side of the car, and then recklessly drove out of  the parking lot. LEAPHART’s Nissan Altima was subsequently located parked and unoccupied in  Wyandanch. She was later arrested on May 15, 2022.  

In total, the group stole approximately $10,700 worth of fragrances. The incidents were all captured on the three store’s video surveillance system. Jennings, Terry and Leaphart were sentenced to one year in jail. Dixon was sentenced to 1.5 to 3 years in jail while Weaver was placed on probation with her case still pending.

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Photo from DA's Office
Photo from DA's Office
Photo from DA's Office

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney has announced that the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, along with the Suffolk County  Police Department, and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, has partnered with the Fund for  Animal Cruelty Treatment of Suffolk, Inc. (“FACTS”), a 501(C)(3) not-for-profit organization, for the utilization of their animal cruelty crime victims fund.

“Prosecuting an animal cruelty case is unlike any other crime, in that the evidence of the crime  consists of a living, breathing animal that needs to be cared for while the case or investigation is  pending,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Abused or neglected animals require a significant  amount of resources including veterinary care, shelter, transportation, medication, and food. We  have partnered with FACTS so that the money needed for the care and recovery of abused and  neglected animals can be funded by donations, alleviating the burden on Suffolk County  taxpayers.”

“FACTS is proud to partner with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Suffolk County  Police Department and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office by providing costs of care that benefit  animal cruelty victims,” said Joyce Glass and Barbara Dennihy, co-founders of FACTS. “This  funding allows animal victims to receive necessary care while recovering and cases are pending.  FACTS meets an identified need during the investigation and prosecution of cases, focusing on  victims without a voice. Donations to FACTS allow us to speak for animal victims by providing  the care and treatment they deserve.”

“Animal cruelty cases are particularly disturbing as the victim is defenseless and voiceless,” said  Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison. “This new partnership ensures that  injured or neglected animals receive the necessary care they deserve while the case moves through  the court process. This is a win-win for animal rights as well as Suffolk County taxpayers.”

“Often times, when our Deputy Sheriffs are reporting to a domestic violence situation or similar  crime, they find animals that are also victims of cruelty or abandonment,” said Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr. “This partnership with FACTS will allow us to immediately get  these animals the proper treatment and housing they deserve without worrying about where the  funding for their care is coming from.”

Financial assistance from FACTS will help treat and care for animals that are victims of criminal  animal cruelty investigations that are being prosecuted by District Attorney Tierney’s Biological,  Environmental, and Animal Safety Team.

To kick off FACTS’ fundraising, Kristie Johnson, president of Foos Fire, Inc., a local Suffolk  County fire sprinkler business, and Kristie’s husband, Christopher Johnson, presented FACTS  with a $10,000 check.

If you would like to donate to FACTS, please visit www.FACTSSAVES.org, and click on the  “Donate Now” button.  You can also donate to FACTS on Venmo, to username @factssaves. Donations can be mailed to:  FACTS, 2168 Nesconset Highway, Suite # 310, Stony Brook, New York 11790.



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Jhonny Chavarria Argueta

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on April 20 that Jhonny Chavarria-Argueta, 21, of Bay Shore, pleaded guilty to Manslaughter in  the Second Degree and other related charges, for speeding 120 mph and driving while intoxicated,  which resulted in a crash that killed his passenger, Jessica Gonzalez, 19, of Commack. 

“This defendant’s selfish actions in driving drunk and speeding resulted in the death of this young  woman, who was a defenseless passenger in his vehicle,” said District Attorney Tierney. “The  defendant’s selfishness continued even after the crash, when he refused to stay and render her aid,  and, instead, cowardly ran away in an attempt to avoid being caught by law enforcement.  Thankfully he has been, and will now be off the roads for a substantial time while he sits in prison  for his crimes.”  

According to court documents and the defendant’s admissions during his guilty plea allocution, on  September 18, 2022 at approximately 4:20 a.m., Chavarria-Argueta was driving a rented 2022  Hyundai Santa Fe eastbound on the Southern State Parkway in the area of the Robert Moses  Causeway near exit 40 after having consumed alcohol. Witnesses observed the defendant drinking  alcohol prior to driving the car. 

Chavarria-Argueta, who was driving at an extremely high rate of speed, lost control of the vehicle  and struck the median guardrail causing the vehicle to flip multiple times and finally came to a rest  on its nose against the Robert Moses Causeway overpass. Gonzalez, who was sitting in the front  passenger seat, was ejected from the vehicle and died from injuries sustained in the crash.  Following the crash, Chavarria-Argueta climbed out of the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.  Prosecutors obtained a warrant to retrieve the black box from Chavarria-Argueta’s vehicle which  revealed that he was driving 120 mph within seconds of the time of the crash.  

On April 20, Chavarria-Argueta pleaded guilty before Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable  Judge Timothy P. Mazzei to:  

∙ Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a Class C felony;  

∙ Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a Class D felony;  

∙ Leaving the Scene of an Incident Without Reporting, a Class D felony;  ∙ Driving While Intoxicated, an Unclassified misdemeanor.  

Chavarria-Argueta is due back in court on June 1, 2023 for sentencing, and faces four to 12 years  in prison.

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Jose Romero

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on April 13 that Jose Romero, 34, of Centereach, pleaded guilty to Rape in the First Degree for having sexual intercourse with a 6-year-old child.

“This defendant preyed upon the innocence and vulnerability of a young child to satisfy his own heinous desires,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Thankfully, she had the courage to come forward and testify in the Grand Jury so that the defendant could be brought to justice. This plea ensures that the young victim will not be re-victimized by being forced to face her abuser again in court.”

According to the investigation and the defendant’s admissions during his guilty plea allocution, in October 2021, Romero had sexual intercourse with the 6-year-old victim, and then gave the victim pocket change and told her not to tell her parents about what he had done to her.

Despite Romero’s attempt to conceal his crime, the child victim immediately disclosed the abuse to her parents who contacted the police. The victim was brought to Stony Brook University Hospital where a sexual assault nurse examiner recovered DNA evidence linking Romero to the crime.

On April 12, 2023, Romero pleaded guilty before County Court Judge, the Honorable Judge Karen M. Wilutis, to Rape in the First Degree, a Class B violent felony. Judge Wilutis ordered Romero held without bail. Romero faces 12 years in prison plus 10 years of post-release supervision and be registered as a sex offender upon sentencing. He is due back in court for sentencing on May 12, 2023.

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Criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusatory instruments.
Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.

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Angela Pollina. Photo from SCPD
Co-Defendant Michael Valva previously Sentenced to 25 Years to Life

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on April 11 that Angela Pollina, 45, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison after a jury found her guilty last month of Murder in the Second Degree and other related charges, for her role in the death of her stepson, 8-year-old Thomas Valva, who died of hypothermia in 2020 after Thomas and his 10-year-old brother were forced to sleep in an unheated car garage in below-freezing temperatures.

“This case and the trials that ensued were not only heartbreaking, but they were also infuriating,” said District Attorney Tierney. “As I’ve said before, while the story of these two defendants ends here, the pursuit of justice for Thomas and Anthony is not over.”

The evidence at trial established that Pollina consciously disregarded the wellbeing of her stepsons Thomas and Anthony, and that disregard led to Thomas’ death on the morning of January 17, 2020. For months leading up to Thomas’ death, text messages were exchanged between Pollina and her fiancé Michael Valva, 45, the boys’ father, which showed Pollina’s insistence that the boys sleep in the garage of their Center Moriches home and not be allowed to use the bathrooms inside.

At Pollina’s insistence, Thomas and Anthony were forced to sleep in the garage without blankets for months prior to the incident. The night before Thomas died, he and his brother had been in the garage for 16 hours since returning from school and spent the night there with no heat, no bathroom access, no mattress, and no blankets while in 19-degree weather. Because he was freezing to death, the next morning, Thomas had an accident and soiled his pants.

Evidence submitted from a home surveillance camera captured Pollina sitting in the kitchen doing her bills, well aware of Thomas’s condition and doing nothing to help care for him. When one of the other children asked why Thomas couldn’t walk, Pollina replied, “Cause he’s hypothermic, hypothermic means you’re freezing, washing yourself in cold water when it’s freezing outside, you get hypothermic.” The surveillance video also showed she watched Thomas being hosed down in the backyard with cold water, and took the time to reprimand his father for yelling because the neighbors might hear. Two hours later, Thomas was pronounced dead due to hypothermia.

According to his testimony at the trial, Homicide Detective Norberto Flores of the Suffolk County Police Department responded to the hospital and when he asked, “What happened?” Pollina fabricated a story that Thomas was running for the bus when he fell and hit his head.

Thomas and Anthony were living at the home with Pollina, Valva, a third brother, and Pollina’s three daughters since 2017. School employees of the East Moriches School District where Thomas and Anthony were enrolled, testified at trial that Thomas and Anthony appeared thin, ate food off the floor, took food from other children, and pulled half eaten food from the garbage. In addition, witnesses testified they would arrive at the school so soiled, that school employees could smell urine and feces on them.

During the defense case, Pollina took the stand and admitted she deleted footage taken from the home’s surveillance camera and that she did not realize that exiling the brothers to the freezing garage for months was wrong until after Thomas was pronounced dead at the hospital. She admitted that the way she disciplined the boys was “evil,” but claimed it was the boys’ father who caused Thomas’ death.

On March 10, 2023, Pollina was convicted after a jury trial heard before Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Timothy P. Mazzei, for the crimes of Murder in the Second Degree, a Class A felony, and four counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a Class A misdemeanor. On April 11, 2023, Pollina was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. She was represented by Matthew Touhy, Esq.

On November 4, 2022, Pollina’s co-defendant and former fiancé Michael Valva, was found guilty of Murder in the Second Degree, a Class A felony, and four counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a Class A misdemeanor. He is now serving 25 years to life in prison.

 

 

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Stock photo

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on March 27 that Glenn Seejattan, 30, of Rocky Point, was found guilty after a jury trial of Murder in the Second Degree for the fatal shooting of a Centereach man who was reported missing in January 2022.

Glenn Seejattan

“This was a senseless killing of a human being whose loved ones reported him missing with the expectation of seeing him again one day,” said District Attorney Tierney. “While there is nothing that will bring back the victim to his family, we are satisfied that we were able to find his killer, hold him accountable, especially now that a jury has found him guilty of his crimes.”

As established at trial, the family of Justin Lee, 34, of Centereach, reported that he had been missing since January 18, 2022. Lee was last seen alive at Seejattan’s mother’s home on Mahogany Road in Rocky Point, where Seejattan also lived. On January 28, 2022, ten days after he went missing, the half-naked, frozen body of Lee was discovered about a half mile away from Seejattan’s home. An autopsy revealed that Lee had sustained a gunshot wound to his head and a gunshot wound to his thigh.

Witness testimony, electronic surveillance, and DNA evidence inculpated Seejattan in Lee’s murder. Within 20 feet of the Lee’s body were wood moldings that were damaged, and physically matched damage found within Seejattan’s home on Mahogany Road. Additionally, items were forensically tested revealing the presence of blood and matched the DNA profile of Lee. Lee’s DNA was also found on a wall within Seejattan’s home. In addition, a trial witness testified that Seejattan admitted that he had shot and killed somebody in a house on Mahogany Road, which he described as a drug deal gone bad. Seejattan further admitted that he shot the victim in the head, took his clothes off, wrapped him up in a blanket, and took him to the woods. He also stated that he did not regret committing the murder but regretted doing it in the house.

Seejattan was convicted for the alleged crimes of Murder in the Second Degree, a Class A felony, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a Class C felony. Seejattan committed the killing while released on bail for a separate indictment in which he was charged with Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a Class C felony, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, a Class D violent felony, and Criminal Possession of a Firearm, a Class E felony. That case is still pending.

Seejattan is due back in court for sentencing on April 26 and faces 25 years to life in prison.

Criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusatory instruments. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law

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