On May 1, 2024, Anthony Romero (DOB: 5/26/1998) was sentenced as a Second Felony Offender to an aggregate term of 37 years to life in prison in Schenectady County Court by Acting County Court Judge Mark J. Caruso following his convictions for Murder in the Second Degree, two counts of Criminal Possession of Weapon in the Second Degree, and one count of Tampering with Physical Evidence. Judge Caruso imposed the maximum indeterminate sentence of 25 years to life incarceration for Romero’s conviction of Murder in the Second Degree, a Class A-I Felony. Judge Caruso imposed determinate sentences of ten (10) years incarceration to be followed by five (5) years post-release supervision on each of the Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree convictions, Class C Violent Felonies. Judge Caruso imposed an indeterminate sentence of two to four (2-4) years incarceration for Tampering With Physical Evidence, a Class E Felony. Romero was convicted by a jury of these offenses following a trial on February 23, 2024, which Judge Caruso presided over. Judge Caruso directed that the sentences for murder, one of the criminal possession of a weapon convictions, and tampering with physical evidence run all consecutively to one another. The sentence for the second criminal possession of a weapon conviction was imposed concurrently, as required by law. Romero had a prior conviction for Attempted Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, which made him a Second Felony Offender for the purposes of his sentencing.
ADA Michael Nobles, on behalf of the District Attorney’s Office, asked the Court to impose an aggregate sentence of at least 30 years to life. Romero’s attorney, Kyle Davis, asked for leniency. The Defendant spoke at length at the sentencing proceeding. Generally, the Defendant stood by his actions and continued to make claims of self-defense, despite the jury’s finding that it had been proven beyond reasonable doubt he was not justified. Numerous family members and loved ones of the victim, Treavine Tate, were present for the sentencing and the victim’s mother made an emotional victim impact statement to the Court.
Romero was convicted of murdering Treavine Tate (DOB: 5/30/2001) on the night of May 30, 2022, which was Tate’s 21st birthday, on Hulett Street in Schenectady with an illegally possessed a 9mm pistol. Surveillance video from the Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office’s Public Surveillance Camera System as well as that of private businesses captured the shooting. The video showed Romero and Tate engage in a verbal argument for a few moments. During the argument, Romero drew a pistol from a bag he was wearing across his body. The video clearly showed Tate was unarmed. Tate walked away from Romero after the gun was pulled and Romero pursued Tate into the street and then shot Tate while Tate was attempting to walk away. Romero continue to fire into Tate after he had fallen on the ground, hitting Tate at with at least six bullets. Romero immediately fled the scene on foot. Romero was identified as a suspect early in the investigation but was not apprehended for approximately five months when members of the United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, which included members of the Schenectady Police Department and Albany Police Department, located Romero in Albany after an exhaustive search. At trial, during his testimony, Romero admitted he was hiding out of state for much of that time period.
Romero testified at trial and admitted to shooting Tate, claiming he did so in self-defense. However, while testifying, Romero also admitted he knew Tate was unarmed. He also admitted he fired every bullet in his gun at Tate. Romero testified he did not know whether he continued firing into Tate after Tate was already down on the ground. Romero further testified that after the shooting he hid his gun, burned his clothes, and fled the state. The gun Romero used in the murder was never recovered by law enforcement. At trial, Romero testified he hid the gun, unloaded, under a dumpster on the property of a school near the killing. The jury rejected Romero’s self-defense claim, finding the People proved beyond reasonable doubt he intentionally killed Tate and he was not acting in self-defense as he did so.
District Attorney Robert M. Carney stated “People facing homicide charges in this County should take note that if you kill someone by shooting them to death with an illegal weapon, and a jury finds you guilty after trial, you are not likely to receive leniency from our County Court judges. Defendant Markeith Buchanan found that out yesterday when Judge Sypniewski sentenced him to 40 years in prison upon his conviction for manslaughter in the first degree for killing John Bass, and Anthony Romero learned that lesson today from Judge Caruso with his sentence of 37 years to life for the murder of Treavine Tate.”
The case was investigated by the Schenectady Police Department, the New York State Police Computer Forensic Laboratory, and Schenectady District Attorney’s Office Investigators. The People were represented by Assistant District Attorney Michael Nobles. Romero was represented by attorney Kyle Davis.