3 plead guilty to gang assault after Oceanside stabbing of Khaseen Morris

Three of the seven defendants from Long Beach who were facing gang assault charges following a 2019 after-school brawl that turned deadly with the stabbing of Oceanside High School senior Khaseen Morris pleaded guilty Monday.

Javonte Neals, Sean Merritt and Marquis Stephens Jr., all 20, each admitted to a felony charge of second-degree gang assault and a misdemeanor assault charge in Nassau County Court in Mineola.

Nassau Supervising Judge Teresa Corrigan said that on April 11 she plans to sentence Stephens to a year in jail and Neals and Merritt to 60 days in jail and five years' probation under their plea deals.

Despite opposition from the Nassau District Attorney's Office, the judge also plans to grant all three youthful offender status.

That saves eligible offenders who break the law — while at least 16 and less than 19 — from the onus of a criminal history by sealing a matter as a confidential record only available to authorities in narrow circumstances.

Prosecutors said charges remain pending against five other defendants, including Morris' alleged killer, Tyler Flach, 21, of Lido Beach. Authorities have said he plunged a knife into Morris’ heart during the fight at about 3:45 p.m. on Sept. 16, 2019, at an Oceanside strip mall.

Defendants Haakim Mechan, 21, Taj Woodruff, 19, and two other defendants who were 16 at the time of the brawl also face second-degree gang assault and misdemeanor assault charges. All previously pleaded not guilty.

In 2019, Flach pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, first-degree gang assault, misdemeanor assault and a weapon offense. The former Nassau Community College student remains in custody at Nassau’s jail while awaiting trial and his defense team has said previously they expect the case to be resolved "in his favor." One of his attorneys, William Petrillo, declined to comment Monday.

Stephens’ attorney, William Kephart, told Newsday on Monday that his client took responsibility for his actions and will serve "jail time that's equal to his role in this matter."

He added: "It's obviously a tragic situation. Marquis never intended for anyone to pass away here and the court saw that."

Neals’ attorney, Lawrence Carrà, said his client is "remorseful for everything that occurred and he hopes to get on with his life."

Merritt’s attorney, Dennis Lemke, called it a shame that what had started out as young people meeting up for a fight ended with a tragic death.

"Fortunately, Mr. Merritt will have the benefit of youthful offender if he does what he's supposed to do now and he can move forward and on with his life. But certainly, the pain is still there for what occurred to Mr. Morris," he added.

While pleading guilty, the three defendants admitted to being present in a strip mall parking lot with a group that included Flach and Mechan. They agreed that, acting individually and as a group that included Flach and Mechan, they intended to harm someone.

They also admitted they caused serious physical injury to Morris while acting with the same people and intending to cause him injury. The defendants also agreed Flach was the person who actually caused the serious harm to Morris and that Morris died as a result.

Nassau District Attorney's Office spokesman Brendan Brosh declined to comment on Monday's pleas. Members of Morris' family were in court Monday for the pleas but left without commenting. Mechan's attorney, David Haber, also declined to comment.

Law enforcement officials have alleged Flach stabbed Morris, 16, once in the heart after Flach and a group of his friends charged at Morris and a group of his friends.

Police have said the stabbing happened after Morris went to the Brower Avenue location knowing the ex-boyfriend of a girl he had befriended wanted to confront him. Morris’ family has said he texted the ex-boyfriend to say he wasn’t dating the girl but had walked her home from a party.

The fight also left a 17-year-old friend of Morris’ with a broken arm and head injury, according to authorities. The defendants' misdemeanor pleas Monday were connected to that victim.

The case captured widespread attention after Nassau police said at first that 50 to 70 youths were at the strip mall watching at the time of the fight and dozens took out smartphones and recorded Morris being attacked and bleeding on the sidewalk — instead of helping him — before circulating the footage on social media. But police later backtracked, saying only about 20 kids were watching the deadly fight and as few as two video recorded it.

Police said they identified the alleged assailants through witness statements and the video, along with surveillance recordings from nearby businesses.

Morris, who died the month before he would have turned 17, dreamed of studying photography, had a talent for drawing and writing music and was an avid skateboarder. He was the youngest of four siblings and had just started his senior year weeks earlier after his family moved to Oceanside from Freeport over the summer.