Man who sentenced NJ teenager Moussa Fofana to 15 years in prison
The man convicted of the fatal shooting of a New Jersey teenager last year was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Wednesday – as part of a controversial plea deal slammed by the victim’s family.
Relatives of 18-year-old Moussa Fofana who was killed wanted gunman Yohan Hernandez, 21, jailed for at least 30 years over the June 2021 shooting that also injured a 17-year-old boy.
“We have not received any justice at all,” the victim’s mother, Hawa Fofana, told a local newspaper after the sentencing. “For me, 15 years is not justice for my son.”
Hernandez of Newark was originally charged with the murder of Moussa, a student on the Columbia High School football team, who was gunned down on a playing field outside the Underhill Sports Complex.
Prosecutors said Hernandez told police he acted in self-defense when he shot Fofana, CBS New York reported.
In September, a judge allowed Hernandez to plead guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter and aggravated assault and a charge of possession of a weapon — although the victim’s family said the proposed sentence was too light.
They called for a 30-year life sentence for Hernandez, but Essex County Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler gave the green light to the deal with the much shorter sentence, saying families “never, ever equate a number with value.” should of their loved one.”
Hernandez appeared in court Wednesday with a stone face, refusing to say anything about Fofana’s relatives or even acknowledge their presence, according to ABC 7 New York.
Hernandez’s behavior in the courtroom prompted the judge to concede that the defendant appeared to have no remorse, the report said.
He must serve at least 85% of his sentence, or almost 13 years, before he is eligible for parole. The judge told him that he was likely to face deportation afterward because he was not a US citizen.
Hernandez told police he acted in self-defense when he shot Fofana.
Hernandez pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of aggravated manslaughter.
The suspect gunned down the victim on a sports field outside the Underhill Sports Complex.
The victim’s grieving mother previously described her son as her best friend and said he has big dreams of becoming a professional soccer player and buying a house for his grandmother in her native country of Liberia.
With mail wires
https://nypost.com/2022/11/16/man-who-shot-nj-teen-moussa-fofana-sentences-to-15-years/ Man who sentenced NJ teenager Moussa Fofana to 15 years in prison
