Long Island Man Gets 35 Years For Robbing, Shooting Drug Dealer

NASSAU COUNTY, NY — A Nassau County man was sentenced to decades behind bars today for robbing and shooting a drug dealer in 2018.

Spencer Jean, 34, of Westbury, was convicted last July of Hobbs Act robbery of a marijuana trafficker, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice. He was sentenced today to 35 years in prison.

The crime carried a mandatory-minimum sentence of 25 years, and a maximum sentence of 45.

“The defendant demonstrated disregard for the life of his victim and no respect for the rule of law, even after having served a lengthy prison sentence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Seth DuCharme. “It is thus appropriate and just that he now will be incapacitated in prison for more than three decades.”

According to prosecutors, on March 20, 2018 in Middle Island, Jean stole $1,500 worth of marijuana from a drug dealer he met at a halfway house where he was living after a 2016 firearms conviction. During the robbery, Jean pulled out a Glock 9mm loaded with hollow-point ammunition and shot the drug dealer in the leg at close range.

The victim had to be placed on life support due to the loss of blood and spent a month in the hospital. They recovered from their injuries.

After the robbery, Jean told a former girlfriend to give him an alibi by lying to police and at trial by saying he was at a nursing home in Medford at the time of the shooting.