Sentenced in Burglary

The second of four men arrested in October on felony burglary charges following a break-in at Damark’s Deli on Three Mile Harbor Road in Springs pleaded guilty in East Hampton Town Justice Court last Thursday to reduced charges and was sentenced to six months’ incarceration.

Lucas M. Ward was brought into court in leg shackles and handcuffs by Suffolk County sheriffs. It was his 22nd birthday.

East Hampton Town police arrested him on Oct. 3. He was released five days later when no indictment was brought, but was back in custody just over two months later following a Dec. 19 brawl. Southampton Town police said at that time that he had threatened a man with a pellet gun, then resisted arrest. Those charges were misdemeanors.

Bail was set at $10,000. Including previous arrests, two of them in East Hampton, Mr. Ward now had open cases in the justice courts of Southampton, East Hampton, and Quogue.

Misdemeanors, unlike felony charges, do not require an indictment in order to hold a defendant. Mr. Ward has been in custody since December, making periodic visits to the three courthouses as his cases work themselves out.

In East Hampton, where he is represented by Brian Francese of the Legal Aid Society, he stood before Justice Lisa R. Rana, his red beard much thicker since his last appearance here a month ago. He had agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor criminal trespassing; the felony charge would be dropped, as would a disorderly conduct charge from an earlier arrest.

After accepting the plea and pronouncing sentence, Justice Rana urged Mr. Ward to turn his life around. “You don’t want to spend your life in jail. You are so young. You’re 22.”

“Happy birthday,” Justice Rana said.  “Thank you, ma’am,” Mr. Ward answered. His sentence will run concurrent with others that may be handed down by Southampton and Quogue.

On Jan. 8, Justice Rana had sentenced one of Mr. Ward’s co-defendants, Joshua M. Ryan, also 22, to two concurrent six-month terms. Mr. Ryan had arrived at the courthouse a free man, well knowing what was about to happen.

The other two defendants, Brian Russell and Alec Green, will have their cases disposed of in coming weeks. Mr. Russell’s attorney, Robert Coyle of Sag Harbor, said this week that he hoped his client would avoid the fate of Mr. Ryan and Mr. Ward. “He has completed treatment,” Mr. Coyle said. “He is doing so much better.”

The haul from the break-in was several packs of Marlboro cigarettes and a few 12-packs of beer.