Town Official Guilty In Shooting DoorDash Delivery Driver: DA

TOWN OF CHESTER, NY — A high-ranking town official has been convicted of a slew of felony charges related to the shooting of a delivery driver, according to prosecutors.

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that 49-year-old John Reilly III, of Chester, was convicted on Thursday after a jury trial of felony first-degree assault; felony second-degree criminal possession of a weapon; felony second-degree assault; and eight felony counts of criminal possession of a firearm.

He was remanded to the Orange County Jail without bail, and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18.

SEE ALSO:

• Town Official Arrested For Shooting DoorDash Driver In Back: NYSP
• Town Official Indicted For Shooting DoorDash Driver In Back: DA
• Arraignment Revelations: Town Official Accused Of Shooting DoorDasher
• Wife of Man Charged In Shooting DoorDasher Indicted On 17 Counts Of Evidence Tampering, Hindering Prosecution

According to court documents, during the evening of May 2, an unarmed DoorDash driver who was lost with a dead phone battery walked up to the home of John Reilly and Selina Nelson-Reilly, in the Town of Chester, with a bag of food, asking if Reilly had placed the order.

Reilly then ordered the man to leave and when the driver tried to leave in his vehicle, Reilly came out of his home with a shoulder holster and armed with a .45 caliber Glock pistol, police say. He racked the gun and discharged a round into the front lawn, according to cops.

Reilly shot at the vehicle, and immediately aimed the gun at the car and fired again, according to investigators. A round pierced the vehicle and struck the victim in the lower back, causing "devastating" injuries.

The .45 caliber projectile was recovered from the victim's abdomen during emergency surgery, which resulted in the removal of over two feet of the victim's small bowel.

A search warrant executed at Reilly's home resulted in the recovery of .45 caliber casings in the kitchen and front lawn, the projectile from the front lawn, the shoulder holster and loaded .45 caliber Glock pistol, and seven other illegally possessed pistols from the home, according to police.

Law enforcement discovered that while Reilly held a Federal Firearms License (FFL) in order to sell firearms, he had no state firearms license or pistol permit, and could not lawfully possess those guns in New York.

DA Hoovler thanked the New York State Police for their investigation which led to the arrest of Reilly. He also thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who aided in the investigation.

"This defendant's depraved indifference to human life was appalling and nearly resulted in the death of an innocent man," Hoovler said. "We can see firsthand the consequences of the use of dangerous firearms by an individual who had no business possessing a gun. I commend the dedication of the police and prosecutors assigned to the case whose thorough efforts resulted in this just outcome. I hope that the victim can continue to heal from the grievous wounds caused by this defendant’s crimes. I will reiterate that as a community, we will not stand idly by and allow for the victimization of the voiceless at the hands of the emboldened."

DA Hoovler highly commended Senior Assistant DA Nicholas Mangold and Assistant DA Emily Worden who prosecuted the case.