Riverhead, NY - March 28, 2019 - Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy D. Sini today announced the sentencing of a Mastic Beach man to 24 years in prison for committing an armed burglary of an East Patchogue home in 2017.
“Justice was finally served for the victims almost two years to the day after this defendant and his accomplices broke into their home,” District Attorney Sini said. “This is a significant sentence that was secured due to the exhaustive investigation by our detectives to identify the perpetrators and a hard-won trial conviction by Assistant District Attorneys Elena Tomaro and Rudy Migliore.”
Steven Smith, 56, of Mastic Beach, was convicted by a jury on Feb. 5 of eight counts of Burglary in the First Degree, a B felony; Burglary in the Second Degree, a C felony; and Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, an E felony. He was sentenced today by Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro to 24 years in prison with five years of post-release supervision.
On March 22, 2017, Smith and three accomplices, who were wearing face masks and armed with a loaded AR-15, a loaded shotgun, a crowbar and zip ties, entered an occupied residence on Falcon Ave. in East Patchogue.
The defendants became engaged in a struggle with two victims inside the residence. During the confrontation, one of the defendants fired the AR-15 and one of the defendants’ masks was removed.
A forensic analysis by the Suffolk County crime laboratory linked the shell casing from the discharged bullet to an AR-15 owned by Donald McDonnell, 43, of Manorville, that was recovered in a separate investigation. McDonnell pleaded guilty on Dec. 14, 2018, to ten counts of Burglary in the First Degree, Burglary in the Second Degree, and Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree. He was sentenced on Feb. 19 to eight years in prison with five years of post-release supervision.
The two additional accomplices pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the burglary and will be sentenced at a later date.
Smith’s trial began on Jan. 8. The jury deliberated for approximately one day before returning a verdict of guilty.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Elena Tomaro, of the Major Crime Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Rudolph Migliore, of the East End Bureau.