MINEOLA, N.Y. – Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that a Hempstead man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for the attempted murder of a former friend in October 2015. The NCDA recommended a sentence of 25 years in prison.
James Jacobs, 31, was convicted on June 12, 2017 of Attempted Murder in the 2nd Degree (a B violent felony), two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 2nd Degree (a C violent felony) and Reckless Endangerment in the 1st Degree (a D felony).
The bench trial, before Acting Supreme Justice Terence Murphy, lasted approximately two weeks.
“James Jacobs carried out a vendetta against his former friend and jeopardized the lives of everyone around him when he fired his weapon into a car – on a public street – in the middle of the afternoon,” DA Singas said. “Thanks to the quick work of the Nassau and Hempstead police departments, and our prosecutors, our county is now safer with James Jacobs behind bars.”
DA Singas said on October 4, 2015 at approximately 3:30 pm, the defendant was driving on Long Beach Road in Hempstead when he saw the victim and the victim’s mother seated in a car. The defendant chased them until he caught up with their car and fired at least three times with a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol. The victims, who were not injured, escaped and called police. The defendant was arrested later that day by members of the Nassau County Police Department and Hempstead Police Department.
The defendant and victim had been friends for many years until 2010 when the defendant was sent to prison for an unrelated incident, which the victim was a part of. When Jacobs was released from prison, he held the victim responsible for his sentence and began to threaten the victim, resulting in the October 2015 incident.
Senior Assistant District Attorney Ali Ajamu of DA Singas’ Major Offense Bureau prosecuted the case. Jacobs is represented by Richard Langone, Esq.
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