Friday, November 15, 2019

Guilty verdicts for defendants in 2nd Avenue gas explosion trial


Per the Times:

After more than two months of testimony, a jury in Supreme Court in Manhattan on Friday found [Maria] Hrynenko, a general contractor and an unlicensed plumber guilty of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and related offenses when they installed an illegal gas line, causing the explosion.

Sentencing takes place on Jan. 10.

We will post much more on this case in the days ahead.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Updated: 2nd Ave. explosion — landlord, 3 others charged with 2nd degree manslaughter; showed 'a blatant and callous disregard for human life'

RIP Nicholas Figueroa

RIP Moises Ismael Locón Yac

A family continues to feel the loss on 2nd Avenue

Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner

Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

Jury selection starts for defendants in 2nd Avenue gas explosion that killed 2 men

Day 1 recap of the 2nd Avenue gas explosion trial; opening statements and emotional testimony from Nicholas Figueroa's father

14 comments:

KeyFood4Eva said...

Justice has been served!!! I hope the sentencing is appropriate.

Anonymous said...

I hope they all go to jail for a long time and that this deters all the other landlords in the neighborhood who play with gas and electrical. A lot of new residents are clueless about the buildings they live in. I worry about the wiring in my building. It’s that old wiring. They keep adding outlets and renting to people who put an air conditioner in every room, but they don’t upgrade the wiring.

Anonymous said...

Good. Maybe the displaced and families that lost someone can get some money out of civil cases as well now.

Anonymous said...

Wow, justice prevails, although it can't bring those two men back.

I'd like to celebrate, but everything about this is horribly sad.

Anonymous said...

A comment on the legal system. It takes 4 years to prosecute this crime and render a verdict concerning the deaths of these 2 young men. All the time and resources to render justice. Meanwhile the defendants got 4 years of freedom before being sentencing. The wheels of justice turn slow. I wonder about all those tenants who had a decent rent stabilized apartment but lost their homes. Maybe they have a legal remedy too? Anyway, at least there has been some accountability for this greed and negligence.

Anonymous said...

A small bit of justice. I hope the sentencing is to the max. Those poor two young men. I hope this verdict gives their families a little comfort and relief.

Gojira said...

HOLY CRAP ON A CRACKER!!! What a way to start the weekend! YAAAAYYYY!!!

Jose Garcia said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...November 15, 2019 at 4:12 PM

I'd like to celebrate, but everything about this is horribly sad.

That is exactly right. So terribly sad. Hopefully a measure of comfort for the family of the dead and injured.

Anonymous said...

Still wonder if they had the same type of dangerous gas hookup in any of their other buildings. I lived for years, in the one they owned above their Kiev diner. As for the explosion, I frequently took my kids into the frites joint that was also destroyed by it. They knowingly put many, many lives at risk.

Giovanni said...

This is great news for the families of the victims and for anyone who lives in a building with gas lines, which includes most of us. I was nervous after that NY Times piece with the lawyer who said it would be difficult for the jury to prove manslaughter. This New York jury did their job because it was obvious to everyone that this was an egregious case of landlord greed and a dangerous scheme to make more money by illegally diverting gas lines.

Nicholas Figueroa’s mother was on the news and said it is her hope that landlords will know they can’t get away with this kind of scam anymore I hope she is right and that all contractors refuse to do this kind of illegal work from now on, but greed is an endless and insatiable black pit that sucks many people in if you just offer them the right price.

Maria Hrynenko lost her son, her buildings, and now her freedom, and the Locón and Figueroa families lost their sons. The neighborhood lost several buildings which were home to beloved places to eat and shop and hang out, and many tenants lost their apartments and all of their belongings. What a senseless and unnecessary tragedy.

Anonymous said...

Fuck yes. Perhaps these families can sigh a bit of relief. Nothing will bring those young men back, but the taste of justice must be sweet. I hope all of these three people are sentenced to some hard time.

Eden Bee said...

YES.

Anonymous said...

Sentencing date was set for Jan 10. Did anything happen yesterday?

Grieve said...

The sentencing was postponed for unknown reason. I'm working on getting the new sentencing date.