Three men guilty of shooting two bystanders while aiming at a car passing through a Paterson intersection
By Jonathan Greene
Published: February 28, 2017
Three city men were found guilty of aggravated manslaughter on Tuesday for unintentionally striking two bystanders while firing at a car passing through the intersection of North 6th and Temple streets.
Francis Brace, 22; Jahmad Green, 22; and Gregory Oliver, 21, were found guilty by a jury of first-degree aggravated manslaughter, second-degree aggravated assault, two counts of second-degree possession of a handgun for unlawful purpose, and second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun.
Brace, Green, and Oliver were originally indicted for murder and attempted murder for the August 31, 2014 shooting. The three men opened fire towards a gold Ford Taurus station-wagon passing through the intersection of North 6th and Temple streets at around 3:49 a.m.
Jaleek Burroughs, 27, was killed. Alaysia Chambers, 18 at the time, was wounded. Both were unintentionally struck in the head by the bullets intended for the vehicle, authorities said.
Brace and Oliver face 40 years in prison. They will have to serve 85-percent of their term before being eligible for parole.
Green faces life in prison as a persistent offender, authorities said.
Brace has a pending sentence on an unrelated fourth-degree weapons charge, authorities said.
Oliver has been indicted for the murder of 15-year-old basketball star Armoni Sexton.
Sentencing for the three men is scheduled for May 5, 2017. New Jersey Superior Court Judge Sohail Mohammed revoked their million dollar bails and remanded them to Passaic County jail pending sentencing after the guilty verdict.