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Jamaica man gets 24 years for two home invasions

Jamaica man gets 24 years for two home invasions
By Philip Newman

A 37-year-old Queens man has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for two home invasions and a concurrent 12-to-24 year prison term for trying while in Rikers Island to hire a hitman to kill witnesses before they could testify against him in court.

“The defendant terrorized not only two families during brazen daytime home invasions but their ordeal did not end with his arrest,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. “As his trial on burglary charges approached, the defendant schemed to have the witnesses slated to testify against him killed.”

He added, “Fortunately, his plan was discovered before he could do any harm.”

Brown identified the defendant as Edward Leasure, 37, of 146th Street in Jamaica, who has been held on $200,000 bond/$100,000 cash bail since his arrest in March 2015.

He pleaded guilty to burglary and conspiracy on Aug 22, 2016. State Supreme Court Justice Barry Schwartz last week sentenced Leisure to a determinate term of 24 years on the burglary charge and the concurrent term of 12 to 24 years on the conspiracy charge.

Brown said according to the charges, Leasure approached a Queens residence on the morning of March 16, 2015 wearing a ski mask and knocked on the front door.

When a 45-year-old woman appeared, he stepped inside, pointed a black firearm at her and her husband, whom he led into the bedroom, and said “show me the safe. If you don’t show me the safe, I’ll shoot your wife in the foot.”

The older women handed $300 to the intruder, who fled the house.

The district attorney said that shortly afterward four houses away while still wearing the ski mask, the defendant entered the home and punched a 63-year-old woman occupant in the left shoulder, causing her substantial pain that required treatment in a hospital.

The DA said Leasure held a pistol to the head of a 24-year-old male occupant of the house and when the telephone rang the gunman demanded the young man speak only English or otherwise he would shoot him. The man’s brother spoke in Bengali on the other end of the phone and was able to alert police to the home invasion.

While held on Rikers Island between April 29, 1916 and May, 12, 2016, Leasure conspired with two others persons — his father, Eddie Marcus, 53, and girlfriend, Latisha Larrymore, 31, both of Jamaica — to hire a hitman to murder witnesses scheduled to testify at his forthcoming trial.

March and Larrymore are currently awaiting trial.