Julian Daley gets stiffest sentence so far of the 5-member gang.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: A teenager in Old Bridge, New Jersey, has been sentenced to 15 years behind bars for his involvement in the murder of an Indian American man.
Julian Daley was sentenced to two concurrent prison terms, one of 15 years and the other of five years, for participating in the brutal beating death of Divyendu Sinha three years ago on June 25, 2010.
Sinha, 49 years old at the time, was taking a late-night walk with his two sons and wife. The family was accosted by Daley and three other youths – Christopher Conway, Cash Johnson, and Christian Tinli – at which pointed Sinha was punched in the head. His two sons received minor bruises, while his wife Alka was not harmed.
Sinha, a computer scientist with Siemens Corporation, was rushed to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, but succumbed to his injuries three days later.
The four youths were subsequently located and arrested by law enforcement. Last month, Conway was sentenced to a seven year prison term, while Johnson and Tinli received six months each. A fifth youth involved, Steven Contreras, is said to have been the getaway driver at the time of the incident, but his sentencing has been postponed.
Contreras is trying to take back his guilty plea; part of his plea deal, which would have given him a lower sentence of only four years behind bars, is now in question because prosecutors are questioning the validity of testimony Contreras gave while on the witness stand.
Sinha’s wife is said to be unhappy with the verdict, calling on State Superior Court Judge Bradley Ferencz, who handed down the sentences, to give Daley the maximum. Ferencz said he was unconvinced that Daley, the group’s youngest member, would not become a repeat offender, but allowed him parole after he serves 85% of his sentence.
All the sentenced youths of expressed their remorse, but Sinha’s family remains unconvinced.
“Because of [their] conduct, I became a widow and my sons have no father,” said Alka Sinha. “What I lost, [they] can’t give back. [They] had no right to take what I had.”
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com