By Courtney Dentch
Anthony Thomas, 35, of 150-42 Shore Ave., received the 20-year jail term in State Supreme Court in Kew Gardens last Thursday for what could have been a deadly attack on Horace Jeridore, 39, in March 2001, Brown said.A Brooklyn man who was also found guilty of the crimes was slated to be sentenced next week, the district attorney said.”The defendants intentionally caused serious physical injury to the victim in a brutal and vicious attack,” Brown said. “The long prison term imposed by the court is just punishment for a terrible crime and will help protect the victim and society from further threats and violence.”Thomas and cohort Thomas Boone were found guilty in 2002 of attacking Jeridore on March 8, 2001 because he said he wanted to stop selling drugs for them, Brown said. The two kicked down the door to Jeridore's basement apartment on Shore Avenue, just blocks from where Thomas lived, the district attorney said.Thomas and Boone used a metal crow bar and a mini metal baseball bat to beat Jeridore for 2 1/2 hours, Brown said. They tortured him by peeling off chunks of skin from his right arm using a pair of pliers, the DA said.The pair also stabbed Jeridore in the stomach, puncturing his liver, and poured alcohol and salt into his wounds, Brown said.Jeridore needed more than 80 stitches to heal the injuries, the district attorney said.Thomas and Boone were convicted of attempted murder and gang assault after a jury trial in July 2002. The conviction was vacated in October 2002 by Judge Roger Rosengarten, who originally heard the case, because a witness and prosecutor Barry Pinto told the jury that the witness, who participated in the attack and testified as part of a plea deal, was under police protection. Pinto had been instructed before the trial started not to present that information to the jury.The conviction was reinstated by the state Appellate Division in June, Brown said.Thomas was sentenced to 20 years in prison last Thursday. Boone was slated to be sentenced July 26, Brown said.Reach reporter Courtney Dentch by e-mail at news@timesledger.com, or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 138.
