Driver in 2019 Ansonia shooting sentenced to 15 months in prison, apologizes to victim
Joti-James, with whom Robinson “had a problem,” walking in the area where the shooting occurred.
The prosecutor noted the circumstances while asking Judge Kevin Russo to sentence Verderosa to serve three years in prison, the maximum according to the deal.
“Whether they came across this man or not by accident, they purposefully circled around the block and came by for a second pass,” Stein said. “What did anyone think was going to happen at that point in time other than what did happen, on a Tuesday summer afternoon at 12:20 with children in a residential neighborhood? But for the grace of God, this could have been a very different scenario for Mr. Verderosa.”
Verderosa’s lawyer, Michael Hillis, said he agreed with almost everything the prosecutor said, and told the judge he initially thought Verderosa was a “punk” when he met him following his May 2020 arrest.
“Over time, he changed my mind about that,” Hillis said. “I think that he has the potential to do well. He’s not the same person that he was.”
Verderosa’s mother said that Verderosa has grown up while subjected to home confinement after being charged in the case.
“Since he’s been in my home under house arrest, I’ve seen him mature immensely,” she told the judge. “He’s not the same person he was back then. He’s really stepped up.”
Verderosa apologized to the victim and said he had learned his lesson.
“I regret that day every day,” he said. “I wish I could take it back.”
The judge said the case was a difficult one given Verderosa’s age and lack of a criminal record, but that whatever the nature of the disagreement between Robinson and the victim, “if somehow your services weren’t rendered, perhaps this criminal event would have been avoided.”
“Everything changes when somebody gets hurt,” Russo said. “Somebody got hurt in this case.”
Robinson pleaded guilty to firstdegree assault and was sentenced in October 2022 to serve five years in prison, according to court records. Joti-James pleaded guilty to carrying a pistol without a permit and was sentenced to one year in jail in the case in April 2022.