Rabbi Victor “Naftali” Koltun – who was convicted in February of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, conspiracy and gun possession –was sentenced this morning to two consecutive life terms in prison without the possibility of parole along with two consecutive sentences of 8 1/3 to 25 years
Koltun Gets 2 Life Terms In Prison For Double Murder For Hire
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMesssiah.com
Rabbi Victor “Naftali” Koltun – who was convicted in February of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, conspiracy and gun possession –was sentenced this morning to two consecutive life terms in prison without the possibility of parole along with two consecutive sentences of 8 1/3 to 25 years, the Times Herald-Record reported.
Koltun hired two convicted felons to kill Francis Piscopo, a 49-year-old ex-cop, to stop Piscopo’s aggressive efforts to collect money Koltun owed. Gerald Piscopo, Francis Piscopo’s 28-year-old nephew, was acting as Francis Piscopo’s driver that day and was killed with him on November 4, 2010.
The shooter, Frank Lewis, and Lewis’ lookout, Craig Fennell, each pleaded guilty three years ago to conspiracy.
Lewis is serving a prison sentence of 12 1/2 to 25 years.
Fennell is serving a sentence of 5 to 10 years.
Koltun – who delayed his trial for years by filing repeated frivolous motions, firing his attorneys, faking illness mental illness, accusing the judge and prosecutors of anti-Semitism, and threatening to murder the trial judge – attempted to file motions this morning to delay his sentencing, claiming ineffective assistance of counsel.
Koltun also reportedly filed complaints about his attorney and prosecutors with the state's lawyer grievance committee and with the U.S. Attorney.
Judge Nicholas De Rosa denied Koltun’s motions.
Both Koltun and his current attorney, Glen Plotsky, insist Koltun hired Lewis and Fennell as bodyguards and did not order the killing.
As he imposed Kolton’s sentence, De Rosa told Koltun that Lewis and Fennell were “monsters” who had no reluctance to kill.
"Those who conspire and consort with monsters to commit heinous crimes are probably monsters themselves," De Rosa reportedly said.
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