A Jamaica man will spend the next 24 years behind bars for home invasion burglaries and conspiring to murder trial witnesses.
Edward Leasure, 37, plead guilty to first-degree burglary, second-degree conspiracy on Aug. 22, 2016. He had been held in jail on $200,000 bond/$100,000 cash bail since his arrest in March 2015.
According to District Attorney Richard A. Brown, on the morning of March 16, 2015, Leasure knocked on the front door of a Queens home wearing a ski mask. When a 45-year-old female opened the door, Leasure stepped inside and stated, in sum and substance, “Where is he?” He then displayed a black firearm and led the female and her husband, 52, into a bedroom.
Leasure then said, in sum and substance, “Where is the safe? You had a big party Saturday night. I know you have a safe. Show me the safe or I’ll shoot your wife in the foot!” The female handed $300 over to Leasure, who then fled the scene on foot.
Shortly after, Leasure approached a house that was four houses away from the first residence he robbed, still wearing the ski mask. He punched the 63-year-old female resident in the left shoulder, causing hospital treatment. He displayed the black firearm to her and a 24-year-old male resident saying, in sum and substance, “Be calm. Don’t scream. I’m just going to wait until the police leave.”
The 24-year-old occupant received a phone call from his brother during this incident, and as he spoke, Leasure held the gun to the occupant’s head, demanding that he speak English or he’ll shoot him. The brother, speaking in Bengali, stated, in sum and substance, “Is there a man in there with a gun? If there is, say ‘Okay. See you for dinner.’” The male occupant replied, in sum and substance, “Okay, okay, okay, yes, dinner.”
Following his arrest, Leasure was held at Rikers Island. According to the conspiracy charges, from April 29, 2016, and May 12, 2016, Leasure conspired with two other individuals – his father, Eddie Marcus, 53, and his girlfriend, Latisha Larrymore, 31, to murder the witnesses who were going to testify against him in the home invasion charges.
“The defendant terrorized not one but two families during brazen daytime home invasions in March 2015. But their ordeal did not end with his arrest,” Brown said. “As his trial on the burglary charges approached, the defendant schemed to have the witnesses slated to testify against him killed. Fortunately, his plan was discovered before he could do any harm.”
Leasure was sentenced to 24 years for the home invasion burglaries and a 12 to 24 year sentence for conspiracy to murder witnesses, which will run concurrently. The cases against Larrymore and Marcus are presently pending trial.
