Haverstraw Man Convicted In Shooting Near School

A Haverstraw man has been convicted of a weapons charge in Rockland County Court in New City for a 2011 incident in which he fired a gun toward a school in Haverstraw.

Rony Veras, 22, of 38 Conklin Ave., was convicted by a Rockland jury of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 7, when he faces a possible state prison sentence of up to 15 years.

Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe said that on Aug. 7, 2011, at approximately 5:30 a.m., Veras fired a revolver toward the Haverstraw Middle School in the Village of Haverstraw. Veras was identified by members of the Town of Haverstraw Police Department using the video surveillance camera system located throughout the village.

Veras was observed walking from the yard of a home near the middle school property. The loaded revolver fired by the Veras was later recovered in the yard.

A trial began on Feb. 24. Jurors deciding the case in the courtroom of Rockland County Court Judge William A. Kelly returned a verdict of guilty following three hours of deliberations.

This case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Richard Kennison Moran.