On September 7, 2021, Richard Brown (09/17/1971) of Scotia, was convicted by a jury in Schenectady County Court of two counts of Burglary in the First Degree (both are class B violent felonies) and one count of Assault in the Second Degree (a class D violent felony). He was acquitted of one count of Attempted Assault in the First Degree (a class C violent felony) and one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree (a class E non-violent felony).
Street cameras show that on July 7, 2020 Brown rode his bicycle to 1302 Lower Broadway approximately 11 minutes before the crime occurred. Once there, cameras from an area business show that he met with a drug dealer identified only as “Jay.” They loaded his bicycle into the back of Jay’s SUV and then spent 7 minutes and 31 seconds walking around the building before Brown made his way inside and to the second floor. Cameras inside the building had been covered with construction paper an hour or two prior, so no video was available. The victim testified that he was sitting on his bed watching television when someone matching the defendant’s description busted in his room and began punching him in the head. He sustained a large laceration to the head and arm that was consistent with the use of a sharp bladed object, such as a razor blade, and not a blunt object, such as the defendant’s fists. The defendant then left the apartment and attempted to jump to a nearby fire escape but fell and hit his head on the bricks below, leaving his blood and DNA behind. Witness descriptions further matched Brown and the clothes he was wearing as recorded the street cameras. Brown also later gave an interview to Det. Bret Ferris of the Schenectady Police Department, whereby he ultimately admitted to having an altercation with the victim.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 9, 2021. Due to the defendant’s past criminal convictions for violent felonies, he faces a definite sentence with a minimum of 10 years of incarceration and a maximum of 25 years on the two burglary counts and 7-to-15 years on the assault count. By law the sentences will all run concurrently. The People were represented by Assistant District Attorney Nicolaus B. McDonald. The defendant was represented by Kyle Davis. The trial was presided over by the Honorable Matthew Sypniewski, Schenectady County Court Judge. For further information contact Assistant District Attorney Nicolaus B. McDonald at 518-388-4721.