2 alleged gang members convicted in road rage killing

It took a Nassau County jury just four hours to find a pair of alleged Latin King gang members guilty Tuesday of the road-rage killing of a Plainview father.

Douglas Coudrey, 22, of Eastport, and Kenneth Regan, 21, of Centereach, were convicted of murder and weapons charges for gunning down Justin Gottlieb, 27, an electrical engineer, a stranger they encountered while driving, in front of his parents’ home on Jan. 14, 2020.

A gasp went out in the courtroom among Gottlieb’s family and friends, who had come to watch the two-week trial every day. The slain man’s parents and brother nodded as the foreman read the guilty verdicts and then embraced as tears filled their eyes. 

The two defendants sat motionless, surrounded by court officers.

Regan’s lawyer, Steve Barnwell, said the prosecutors presented an overwhelming amount of evidence. 

“My client still proclaims his innocence,” he said. “We’ll read the transcript and see where there’s an opportunity for appeal.”

Coudrey's attorney could not be immediately reached for comment.

At trial, Nassau County Assistant District Attorney Ania Pulaski presented text messages, cellphone tower information, social media posts and surveillance videos that she said pointed straight at the two men.

“They’re both responsible, equally responsible for Justin’s death, no matter who pulled the trigger,” she told the jury.

It's still unclear what led to the dispute, but at some point in Gottlieb's 15-minute commute, the two defendants decided to chase him back to his parents' house, where he was shot.

Joanne Gottlieb, the victim’s mother, testified how she watched her son die on her kitchen floor while she was on the phone with a 911 operator.

A chilling recording of her call was played for the jury.

Justin Gottlieb’s dying declaration was that his killers were “Two kids in a white Ford Fusion.”

That was enough for Nassau investigators to trace the shooting back to Regan and Coudrey, who had been kicked out of Suffolk County Department of Social Services for being disruptive the same day, before the murder. The security guard had taken the extra step of coming outside the building and snapping a photo of their car as they drove away.

After the crime, they posted videos of themselves on social media seeming to boast about the crime.

After the quick deliberation, Gottlieb’s parents and brother hugged family members and investigators in the courthouse hallway. At the time of his death, he was engaged to be married and had become a father.

“I’m glad it’s over,” said Jeff Gottlieb, the victim's father. “Justice is done."

The two now face another murder trial in Bergen County, New Jersey, after they were tied to a second road-rage killing four days after Gottlieb was killed, of a man they allegedly chased from New York City across the George Washington Bridge and fatally shot in the town of Lodi.

Luis Perez, 27, of the Bronx, died at the scene from gunshot wounds to his neck and chest. A passenger in the front seat, Jose Mercado, 24, also suffered gunshot wounds to the chest but survived. 

“Justin Gottlieb was a young father and electrical engineer who was senselessly murdered by Douglas Coudrey and Kenneth Regan after an encounter on his drive home from work,” District Attorney Anne Donnelly said.

Correction: This story has been updated to correct the date of the killing and length of the trial.