By: Richard L. Smith
A Newark man has been found guilty of multiple charges, including first-degree murder and arson, in connection with a fatal shooting in 2022, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II announced Friday.
Juan Leandry, 25, was convicted by an Essex County jury on November 22 after a seven-day trial before Judge Patrick J. Arre.
The charges included first-degree conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree murder, weapons offenses, and several counts of arson.
Jury deliberations lasted nearly 4.5 hours over two days.
The case stemmed from an August 2, 2022, incident at 535 South Orange Avenue, where 34-year-old Davion Sumier was fatally shot.
Prosecutors Brian R. Olsen and Brianne Cunningham presented evidence showing that Leandry and his accomplices, using a stolen dark-colored Jeep Cherokee, fired approximately 42 shots at Sumier.
Surveillance footage captured their arrival at the scene.
Days after the shooting, Leandry reportedly set the Jeep on fire in an empty lot in Irvington and posted images of the burning vehicle on Instagram.
Investigators connected him to the homicide and the vehicle fire using phone records.
Prosecutors commended the collaborative efforts of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, Newark and Paterson Police Departments, Irvington Police and Fire Departments, and the FBI, which were instrumental in securing the conviction.
Leandry now faces sentencing for the convictions.