FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Vernon, CT) – Matthew C. Gedansky, Tolland State’s Attorney, announced that Joseph Sandone, 19, of Windsor Locks, was sentenced today to five years in prison for his role in the the August 27, 2020 assault and attempted shooting of a juvenile victim in the Rockville section of Vernon.
Sandone pleaded guilty in Rockville Superior Court to the charge of Conspiracy to Commit Assault in the First Degree in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-49/§53a-59. Sandone served as the “getaway driver” for Trenton Merrill and Jakwai Sosa, who committed the assault and attempted shooting of the juvenile victim.
The August 27, 2020 assault was one of a series of escalating violent interactions between two groups of young people in Rockville at the time. Following an extensive investigation conducted by the Vernon Police Department spanning 2019 through 2021, police arrested 15 individuals in connection with multiple stabbings, assaults and shootings. The defendants were presented in Rockville Superior Court, with additional juveniles charged in Rockville Juvenile Court.
All of these cases were prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant State's Attorney Jaclyn Preville.