Amandeep Singh rejects deal in DWI crash that killed teen tennis stars Drew Hassenbein, Ethan Falkowitz of Roslyn
The alleged wrong-way drunken driver charged in the May 3 death of two Roslyn teens rejected a plea offer from prosecutors at an appearance in Nassau County Criminal Court Thursday.
Amandeep Singh, 34, of Roslyn, would have been sentenced to a maximum of 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison for aggravated vehicular homicide under the offer, Acting State Supreme Court Justice Helene Gugerty explained in a courtroom filled to capacity.
Singh would have also been required to plead guilty to two counts of second-degree assault, two counts of third-degree assault, driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident, with any additional jail time running concurrently, allowing him to only serve time on the top charge, the judge explained.
"Is it your position today that you are rejecting that offer?" Gugerty asked.
"Yes," Singh replied.
The offer from Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly's office was put on record Thursday by Assistant District Attorney Michael Bushwack following a conference in judge's chambers.
Bushwack, the lead prosecutor on the case, said the offer was made after consultation with the families of the victims, which includes two additional teens who were injured in the Jericho crash.
Gugerty set a deadline of Nov. 22 for Singh to enter a guilty plea, should he change his mind, before the case moves to the trial calendar. On that date, Singh's newly expanded defense team intends to submit motions that will contest statements he allegedly made following the crash, scientific evidence in the case and the grand jury minutes, his attorneys said.
"He's evaluating all of his options," defense attorney Edward Sapone told Newsday. "He has faith in the system and he looks forward to his day in court."
Sapone, of Manhattan, appeared Thursday alongside Singh's original attorney, James Kousouros, and fellow co-counsel Nicholas Ramcharitar and Keith O'Donnell.
Kousouros said the new attorneys were added to the defense team last month.
"I certainly welcome as many learned voices as I can to look at this," Kousouros said. "It's a complicated case with a lot of discovery and this team is good."
Singh was arraigned June 26 on a 15-count indictment that includes manslaughter charges in the deaths of Roslyn High School freshman tennis stars Drew Hassenbein and Ethan Falkowitz.
Prosecutors have alleged Singh was driving a 2019 Dodge Ram pickup south in the northbound lanes of North Broadway in Jericho while drunk and high on cocaine when he swerved around cars and crashed at 95 mph into a 2019 Alfa Romeo four-door sedan occupied by the four teens.
Police said Singh’s pickup truck went airborne, spinning and landing 300 feet away. Singh was arrested in a neighboring shopping center a short time later after attempting to flee the scene, police said.
Toxicology reports taken four hours after the crash found Singh had a 0.15 blood alcohol level — nearly double the legal limit — along with cocaine in his system, Bushwack, chief of the Vehicular Crimes Bureau, previously said. An empty bottle of tequila was found behind Singh's driver's seat, Bushwack said.
Prosecutors have also said they've obtained receipts and security cameras that showed Singh was drinking at two bars before the crash, along with surveillance video from the scene of the accident.
Singh has been held without bail since his initial arraignment May 4. At a June 2 appeals hearing in Brooklyn, Kousouros suggested $1 million bail and home confinement with GPS monitoring would be more appropriate, but his appeal was denied.
The case has received extensive attention, with friends and neighbors of the teens flooding the courtroom for each appearance. Once again Thursday, an overflow crowd waited outside the courtroom to hear about what transpired. One section of the courtroom was also filled with friends and family of Singh.
The teens had been celebrating a Roslyn varsity tennis victory with teammates at a restaurant before the crash. Despite being only 14 years old, Hassenbein and Falkowitz were among the top players on their varsity team, having already played at elite levels of youth tennis.
Singh is due back in court Jan. 17.
The alleged wrong-way drunken driver charged in the May 3 death of two Roslyn teens rejected a plea offer from prosecutors at an appearance in Nassau County Criminal Court Thursday.
Amandeep Singh, 34, of Roslyn, would have been sentenced to a maximum of 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison for aggravated vehicular homicide under the offer, Acting State Supreme Court Justice Helene Gugerty explained in a courtroom filled to capacity.
Singh would have also been required to plead guilty to two counts of second-degree assault, two counts of third-degree assault, driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident, with any additional jail time running concurrently, allowing him to only serve time on the top charge, the judge explained.
"Is it your position today that you are rejecting that offer?" Gugerty asked.
WHAT TO KNOW
- The alleged wrong-way drunken driver charged in the May 3 death of two Roslyn teens rejected a plea offer from Nassau prosecutors on Thursday.
- Amandeep Singh, 34, of Roslyn, would have been sentenced to a maximum of 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison for aggravated vehicular homicide under the offer. He is facing up to 32 years in prison if convicted.
- The crash resulted in the deaths of Roslyn High School freshman tennis stars Drew Hassenbein and Ethan Falkowitz, both 14. The crash also injured two other teens.
"Yes," Singh replied.
The offer from Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly's office was put on record Thursday by Assistant District Attorney Michael Bushwack following a conference in judge's chambers.
Bushwack, the lead prosecutor on the case, said the offer was made after consultation with the families of the victims, which includes two additional teens who were injured in the Jericho crash.
Gugerty set a deadline of Nov. 22 for Singh to enter a guilty plea, should he change his mind, before the case moves to the trial calendar. On that date, Singh's newly expanded defense team intends to submit motions that will contest statements he allegedly made following the crash, scientific evidence in the case and the grand jury minutes, his attorneys said.
"He's evaluating all of his options," defense attorney Edward Sapone told Newsday. "He has faith in the system and he looks forward to his day in court."
Sapone, of Manhattan, appeared Thursday alongside Singh's original attorney, James Kousouros, and fellow co-counsel Nicholas Ramcharitar and Keith O'Donnell.
Kousouros said the new attorneys were added to the defense team last month.
"I certainly welcome as many learned voices as I can to look at this," Kousouros said. "It's a complicated case with a lot of discovery and this team is good."
Singh was arraigned June 26 on a 15-count indictment that includes manslaughter charges in the deaths of Roslyn High School freshman tennis stars Drew Hassenbein and Ethan Falkowitz.
Ethan Falkowitz and Drew Hassenbein, both 14, were killed when an allegedly drunken driver heading the wrong way on Jericho Turnpike struck the car they were riding in.
Prosecutors have alleged Singh was driving a 2019 Dodge Ram pickup south in the northbound lanes of North Broadway in Jericho while drunk and high on cocaine when he swerved around cars and crashed at 95 mph into a 2019 Alfa Romeo four-door sedan occupied by the four teens.
Police said Singh’s pickup truck went airborne, spinning and landing 300 feet away. Singh was arrested in a neighboring shopping center a short time later after attempting to flee the scene, police said.
Toxicology reports taken four hours after the crash found Singh had a 0.15 blood alcohol level — nearly double the legal limit — along with cocaine in his system, Bushwack, chief of the Vehicular Crimes Bureau, previously said. An empty bottle of tequila was found behind Singh's driver's seat, Bushwack said.
Prosecutors have also said they've obtained receipts and security cameras that showed Singh was drinking at two bars before the crash, along with surveillance video from the scene of the accident.
Singh has been held without bail since his initial arraignment May 4. At a June 2 appeals hearing in Brooklyn, Kousouros suggested $1 million bail and home confinement with GPS monitoring would be more appropriate, but his appeal was denied.
The case has received extensive attention, with friends and neighbors of the teens flooding the courtroom for each appearance. Once again Thursday, an overflow crowd waited outside the courtroom to hear about what transpired. One section of the courtroom was also filled with friends and family of Singh.
The teens had been celebrating a Roslyn varsity tennis victory with teammates at a restaurant before the crash. Despite being only 14 years old, Hassenbein and Falkowitz were among the top players on their varsity team, having already played at elite levels of youth tennis.
Singh is due back in court Jan. 17.
Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.
'A spark for them to escalate the fighting' A standoff between officials has stalled progress, eroded community patience and escalated the price tag for taxpayers. Newsday investigative editor Paul LaRocco and NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie report.
'A spark for them to escalate the fighting' A standoff between officials has stalled progress, eroded community patience and escalated the price tag for taxpayers. Newsday investigative editor Paul LaRocco and NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie report.
