Judge: Killer must pay despite bankruptcy

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Sept. 9 (UPI) -- A man who shot and killed a Florida teenager must still pay a $750,000 court-ordered judgment even though he declared bankruptcy, a U.S. bankruptcy court ruled.

A February liquidation bankruptcy filing by Jay Levin, a Boca Raton, Fla., accountant, does not let him escape paying Greg and Luciana Drewes, who sued Levin after he shot and killed their son, Mark, seven years ago, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Erik P. Kimball said in his opinion.

"The debtor is an adult," Kimball wrote. "He owned a handgun. He took the time to retrieve the handgun and bring it to his front door. He opened the door and saw Mark Drewes. The debtor shot his handgun to repel Mark Drewes.

"It is inconceivable that the debtor did not realize Mark Drewes would be injured or killed," Kimball added, calling Levin's shooting "willful" and saying Levin must therefore be responsible for the consequences of the intentional act.

The ruling "means now we can chase (Levin) for the judgment. He'll be seeing a lot of us," attorney Philip Landau, who challenged Levin's bankruptcy filing on behalf of the Dreweses, told The Palm Beach Post.

Levin's bankruptcy lawyer, Stephen Jerome, said Levin was "disappointed" by the ruling and may appeal.

Levin, 47 -- who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2004 and was sentenced to 52 weekends in jail -- shot Mark Drewes, his 16-year-old neighbor, in the back after Drewes rang Levin's doorbell in a late-night "ding-dong-ditch" prank, motions in Levin's Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing stated.

The filing said Levin's assets were $4,502 but his liabilities, including the judgment, were $1,019,310, the Post said.

Levin paid $102,260 of the judgment but still owes the remainder.