May 17 (UPI) -- The owner of a New York state limousine company on Wednesday was convicted on 20 counts of second-degree manslaughter in connection with a 2018 crash that killed 20 people.
On Oct. 6, 2018, a limousine operated by Nauman Hussain's company, Prestige Limousine, ran a stop sign in Schoharie, N.Y., and struck an SUV, killing all 18 occupants, along with two pedestrians.
Then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the vehicle had failed a prior inspection and that the driver didn't have a commercial driver's license.
In 2021, Hussain pleaded guilty to 20 charges of criminally negligent manslaughter as part of a plea arrangement with prosecutors to avoid incarceration. The plea deal was tossed out when State Supreme Court Judge Peter Lynch took over the case and claimed the deal was unlawful.
Hussain's attorney, Lee Kindlon, sued Lynch over the tossed plea deal.
Jury deliberations for Wednesday's verdict lasted for less than six hours, with jurors deciding between charges of criminally negligent homicide and manslaughter.
Hussain is scheduled to be sentenced on May 31 and could face up to 15 years in prison.
