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Middle Island resident Paul Houpe, age 30, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in a shooting that injured two, the Suffolk County District Attorney announced.
According to his guilty plea and the district attorney’s investigation, Houpe got into a verbal argument with two other diners while at the Mambo Grill & Lounge, located in Riverhead at 33 East Main Street.
The verbal altercation continued onto the restaurant’s back patio area, the DA said, where Houpe took out his loaded pistol and fired point-blank at the other two, striking them multiple times.
Houpe then fled the scene and, in the days following, altered his appearance by dying his hair from blond to black in an attempt to evade prosecution. Police recovered multiple shell casings, Houpe’s cell phone, and surveillance footage of the incident.
The two victims were transported to Peconic Bay Medical Hospital and were treated for their wounds.
After a month, Houpe was arrested by police at his place of work in Riverhead.
At the time of the shooting, the DA reported, Houpe was out on parole from a previous felony.
In all, Houpe plead guilty to the following charges:
- Second-degree criminal possession of a weapon
- First-degree attempted assault, two counts
In addition to the 10 years in prison, Houpe was sentenced to five years of post-release supervision.
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