Roosevelt Man Facing 25 To Life After Murder Conviction Plans To Appeal, Attorney Says

MINEOLA, NY — Prosecutors announced Thursday that a 64-year-old Roosevelt man had been convicted of murder and other charges that could place him behind bars for 25 years to life. In a conversation Thursday, his attorney said the man maintains his innocence and plans to appeal that conviction.

Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said 64-year-old Dennis Ray had been convicted on Tuesday of one second-degree murder charge, a first-degree assault charge and two robbery charges, one first-degree and one second. The charges, Donnelly said, stemmed from a 2022 incident in which Ray and another man, Tyrell Guthrie, beat 59-year-old Copiague resident Jose Osma while they attempted to rob a Chuck E. Cheese. More than a year later, Osma died from his injuries.

“Jose Osma was beaten to within an inch of his life during a robbery in 2022 and what followed was an endless cycle of brain surgeries, paralysis, rehab and hospitalizations until Jose sadly succumbed to his extensive injuries a year later,” Donnelly said. “Dennis Ray showed no remorse for his violent assault, even bragging minutes after the attack about the stolen money and the heinous crime he committed to get it. For days after the attack Jose’s family did not know where he was or what had happened to him, and for a year after that, they were heartbreakingly forced to witness his tragic decline. I hope that this conviction brings them a measure of justice, and I thank the jury for their decision to convict this defendant.”

Ray's attorney, Joe Lo Piccolo, said Thursday that Ray planned to appeal the ruling.

"Mr. Ray maintains he was not a participant in the assault and robbery that led to the death of Mr. Osma," Lo Piccolo said. "He maintains that it was the act of his co-defendant, who previously pled guilty and took 18 years for this...We respect the verdict of a jury that took time to weigh the evidence and apply the law. However, we do plan to vigorously appeal the conviction."

Donnelly said the incident took place on Apr. 22, 2022, with Ray and Guthrie attempting to rob the Hempstead Chuck E. Cheese at 11 p.m., beating Osma in the process. Osma wasn’t discovered until 6:30 a.m. the following morning, at which point he was unconscious with multiple skull and orbital fractures, prosecutors said. On Apr. 24, 2022, Osma was found at NYU Langone Hospital - Long Island, after his family had filed a missing person report, prosecutors said.

Both men were arrested, and Osma underwent five brain surgeries and multiple comas before dying on Apr. 30, 2023, prosecutors said. On Nov. 9, 2023, Guthrie pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter; he was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Jan. 29, 2024, prosecutors said.

As for Ray, the 64-year-old is due back in court May 12, prosecutors said. Lo Piccolo said a notice of appeal will be filed within 30 days of sentencing, starting an appeals process that could take 18 to 24 months.