Kadeem Lewis, 31, of Hempstead, was sentenced to 24 years to life behind bars in Nassau County Court on Friday, Jan. 24. It followed his murder conviction for the killing of Jose Sanchez-Velasquez.
Lewis and a co-defendant, Richard Ford, were walking around Hempstead looking for a house to burglarize when they spotted Velasquez sleeping in the front seat of his car at around 2:20 a.m. on Nov. 25, 2019, prosecutors said.
Lewis went to the driver’s side door while Ford walked to the passenger side door and began stealing several cell phones. Ford then pulled Velasquez out of the vehicle.
When the victim screamed, Lewis fired a single shot into his chest, killing the man. Both men then fled the scene.
Lewis was involved in a second residential robbery in Hempstead a month later, in December 2019, prosecutors said. Donning a ski mask, he dropped his cell phone inside the residence.
Nassau County Police later recovered the mask and a wallet that was taken from the Alan Street home. DNA samples taken from the mask and cell phones from the murder scene both came back as matches to Lewis.
Months went by before police finally arrested Lewis in February 2020. A Nassau County jury convicted him of second-degree murder and robbery in October 2024.
“The final moments of Jose Sanchez-Velasquez’s life were filled with shock and terror when Kadeem Lewis and a co-defendant roused him from sleep inside his car and robbed him,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.
“Today’s life sentence holds Kadeem Lewis accountable for his callousness and for taking an innocent man’s life. Our thoughts remain with Jose’s loved ones at this time, and we hope that this most severe punishment provides them with the justice they deserve for this unspeakable crime.”
Click here to follow Daily Voice Deer Park and receive free news updates.