Nauman Hussain was convicted in Schoharie County Court on Wednesday, May 17, of 20 counts of second-degree manslaughter in a crash in October 2018 that claimed the lives of 17 passengers, the driver of the limousine and two pedestrians.
The wreck occurred in the town of Schoharie, about 25 miles west of Albany in Schoharie County.
It was the deadliest US air disaster — by land or in the air — in nearly a decade since Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed in Buffalo on Feb. 12, 2009, killing 49 people.
Investigators said the stretch limousine, an SUV operated by Prestige Limousine, was traveling at more than 100 mph when the brakes failed.
The limo was traveling through the intersection of Interstate 30 and Route 30A when it crashed into an unmanned vehicle.
The impact was so severe that 17 people in the birthday limousine were killed, along with the driver and two bystanders.
The governor’s office later said the limousine had failed a DMV inspection a month before the crash and should not have been on the road.
Officials also confirmed that the driver of the limousine did not have the proper license to drive the vehicle.
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, whose 21st District includes Schoharie County, later disputed the agency with limousine company owner Shahid Hussein Shahid Hussain had served as an FBI informant, raising questions about his ties to FBI Director Christopher Wray.
Stefanik accused the FBI of turning a blind eye to Hussein, who reportedly falsified the company’s safety inspection report months before the accident.
In September 2022, a Schoharie County judge rejected a plea deal that required Nauman Hussain to serve four years of probation and not serve prison time after pleading guilty to 20 counts of criminal manslaughter.
Prosecutors brought in 24 witnesses during the six-day trial, including an expert who blamed improper maintenance for catastrophic brake failure, the Albany station said. WRGB report.
Following Wednesday’s sentencing, Hussain was ordered to remain in the Schoharie County Jail until his sentencing, which is scheduled for Wednesday, May 31.
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