Man Sentenced To Prison After Terrifying Home Invasion: DA

MASTIC BEACH, NY — A Mastic Beach man was sentenced Tuesday to 24 years in prison for committing a terrifying armed home invasion in East Patchogue in 2017, Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini said.

Steven Smith, 56, of Mastic Beach, was convicted by a jury on Feb. 5 of eight counts of first degree burglary, a felony; second degree burglary, a felony; and fourth degree conspiracy, a felony, Sini said. He was sentenced by Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro to 24 years in prison with five years of post-release supervision, Sini said.

On March 22, 2017, Smith and three accomplices, who were wearing face masks and armed with a loaded AR-15, a loaded shotgun, a crowbar and zip ties, entered an occupied residence on Falcon Ave. in East Patchogue, Sini said.

The men became engaged in a struggle with two individuals inside the residence; during the confrontation, one of the defendants fired the AR-15 and one of the defendants’ masks was removed, Sini said.

A forensic analysis by the Suffolk County crime laboratory linked the shell casing from the discharged bullet to an AR-15 owned by Donald McDonnell, 43, of Manorville, that was recovered in a separate investigation, Sini said. McDonnell pleaded guilty on Dec. 14, 2018, to 10 counts of first degree burglary, second degree burglary, and fourth degree conspiracy, Sini said. He was sentenced on Feb. 19 to eight years in prison with five years of post-release supervision, Sini said.

The two additional accomplices pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the burglary and will be sentenced at a later date, Sini said.

“Justice was finally served for the victims almost two years to the day after this defendant and his accomplices broke into their home,” Sini said. “This is a significant sentence that was secured due to the exhaustive investigation by our detectives to identify the perpetrators and a hard-won trial conviction by Assistant District Attorneys Elena Tomaro and Rudy Migliore.”

Smith’s trial began on Jan. 8. The jury deliberated for approximately one day before returning a verdict of guilty, Sini said. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Elena Tomaro, of the Major Crime Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Rudolph Migliore, of the East End Bureau.