Merrick Man Gets 21 Years In Prison For Wife's Strangulation: DA

MINEOLA, NY — A Merrick man was sentenced on Monday to 21 years in prison for the strangling death of his wife last year after the couple had an argument, Acting Nassau County District Attorney Joyce Smith said.

John Gerges, 61, pled guilty to first-degree manslaughter in July 2020.

Along with the prison sentence, Gerges also was given five-year post-release supervision, according to the district attorney's office.

"A trivial argument sparked a violent attack that cost Marvat Gerges her life," Smith said in a statement. "John Gerges committed the ultimate act of domestic violence and will now spend the next 21 years behind bars paying for his horrific crime."

In the early morning hours of February 22, 2020, Gerges strangled his wife, 58-year-old Marvat Gerges, inside their Merrick home following a 3:00 a.m. verbal altercation over the cleanliness of their home, according to the D.A.'s release.

Marvat, who was homebound with severe arthritis, was found in the guest bedroom laying on a bed with marks around her neck by the couple’s adult son at approximately 2:30 p.m. on February 22, when he returned home from work as a security guard in Queens. The son called 911 immediately and Marvat was later pronounced dead at the home, Smith's office said.

John Gerges was not home at the time his son found the body and did not return to the home until the next morning when he was questioned and later arrested by Nassau County Police Department detectives.