Nauman Hussain, the operator of the limo company involved in the 2018 Schoharie crash that killed 20 people, was sentenced today to 5 to 15 years in prison. The sentence came after a jury earlier this month found Hussain guilty of manslaughter.
In 2018, the vehicle belonging to Prestige Limousine traveled down a steep hill in Schoharie and crashed into a parking lot, killing all 17 passengers, the driver, and two bystanders.
Three years later, the company’s operator Nauman Hussain pleaded guilty to 20 counts of criminally negligent homicide – avoiding trial – in exchange for probation and community service.
In 2022, Judge Peter Lynch rejected the plea deal, leading to this spring’s trial of the now-33-year-old who managed the company owned by his father – a former FBI informant now believed to be in hiding overseas.
On May 17th, Hussain was found guilty of 20 counts of manslaughter in the second degree. In a Schoharie County courtroom packed with the families of the survivors of the crash Wednesday, Judge Lynch read each count aloud to Hussain, who was seated in shackles and orange garb from the county jail.
“By operation of law, those indeterminate terms of imprisonment are to run concurrently for an aggregate, indeterminate term of imprisonment, with a maximum of 15 years and a minimum of five years,” said Lynch.
Prior to sentencing, several family members of the crash victims delivered emotional impact statements – some for the second time after Hussain’s 2021 plea entry. During sentencing, Hussain hung his head but did not speak.
As the crowd filtered out into the lawn of the courthouse, Special Prosecutor Fred Rench explained that the case came down to Hussain’s decision to ignore safety regulations.
“The case appeared to be complex. But in the end, it was a case of regulatory violation. By that, I mean, Mr. Hussain was required by law to comply with certain regulations. He failed to do so, although he knew what these regulations….he knew of the regulations and that they applied to him. He failed to abide by them, he failed to follow them, and this crash occurred as a result of that,” said Rench.
Outside in the sun, the lightened mood from the families contrasted against the heavy, emotional setting of the courtroom. Mary Ashton, who lost her son Michael Ukaj, said her son – a former Marine – had his life taken from him in a selfish act by Hussain.
“My son's life meant something. And as I found out a week and a half ago, he was a hero in Iraq. And now, I can't even say, ‘Congratulations, Michael. I'm really proud of you.’ It’s just a horrible thing. It's just a horrible thing,” said Ashton.
Kevin Cushing, who lost his son Patrick in the crash and also served on New York’s Stretch Limousine Passenger Safety Task Force, said he has happy for the families, who have grown close since the crash. The families have pushed for limo safety reforms at the state and federal level.
“I'm happy for them. I'm happy for us. It's still not closure. We will never get closure from an accident like this or a decision like this. Don't expect closure, don't want closure. We want Patrick to remain in our hearts and top of mind for the rest of our lives, that that's our blessing. We always have his memories and we'll keep those memories close to us and treasure them,” said Cushing.
Donna Rivenburg, who lost her daughter Amanda, was disappointed Hussain chose not to speak.
“He has never, in all this time, ever said he was sorry. You killed 20 people over money? That’s just insane,” said Rivenburg.
Hussain’s defense attorney, Lee Kindlon, who said he had a lot of respect for the families who spoke in court, said his client wanted to address them but he cautioned against it.
“His words to me today were, ‘Can I stand up and finally say something?’ And I said ‘No, you may not,’ which is what I told the judge, is, ‘Only on the advice of counsel, is he not going to say anything,’” said Kindlon.
Hussain was remanded to custody of the Schoharie County Sheriff’s Office for processing before being turned over to the state prison system.
Kindlon filed his intention to appeal after the sentencing.
“So, obviously we have some legal disagreements. The judge chose not to instruct the jury about third-party liability. That's probably going to be one of our first points. And it's my hope that the trial record helps explain that to the appellate courts,” said Kindlon.
In addition to the criminal case, civil suits have been brought by the families against Hussain, his father, Mavis Discount Tire, and New York State.
A day before sentencing, families received a long-sought briefing from the FBI over the agency’s reported ties to the Hussain family.
