How Many Years Can You Get for Aggravated Vehicular Homicide in New York?
The three selected New York City prosecutions with an expressly allocated aggravated-vehicular-homicide term report Jorge Serrano’s 4–12 years, Tyrone Absolam’s 5–15 years and Nicholas Thompson’s 8½–17 years. These are separate indeterminate sentences, not three fixed durations or a citywide minimum–maximum range. A fourth prosecution, Aleh Sheipak’s, reports 7–21 years after a two-offense plea without separate count allocation; it is retained as context, not a target-count endpoint. This selected sample is not an average or a prediction.
Quick Answer
- Selected prosecutions: four independent clusters, four defendants; three expressly allocated target-offense outcomes
- Allocated terms: 4–12, 5–15 and 8½–17 years, each an individual indeterminate sentence
- Separate context: Sheipak’s 7–21 years after an aggravated-vehicular-homicide/aggravated-DWI plea; count allocation not established
- Locations: Brooklyn and Queens, within New York City
- Classification: class B felony
See the New York hub, compare second-degree vehicular manslaughter and DWI injury outcomes, and review our methodology.
What Is Aggravated Vehicular Homicide?
Penal Law §125.14 combines reckless driving and second-degree vehicular manslaughter with an additional statutory circumstance, such as a blood-alcohol level of at least .18, a qualifying suspension or prior, multiple deaths, or a death plus serious physical injury. It is a class B felony.
Statutory Sentence
Penal Law §70.00 generally permits an indeterminate sentence for a class B felony with a maximum up to 25 years. Criminal history and the precise conviction structure matter. That ceiling is not an observed sentence.
Observed Cases
| Case | NYC conduct | Disposition | Reported imposed sentence and allocation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jorge Serrano | Fatal Long Island Expressway collision in Queens | Guilty plea to aggravated vehicular homicide; concurrent vehicular-assault term | 4 to 12 years on aggravated vehicular homicide |
| Tyrone Absolam | Rockaway Boulevard collision killed a mother and child | Guilty plea to aggravated vehicular homicide | 5 to 15 years |
| Aleh Sheipak | Wrong-way drunk-driving collision killed one passenger and injured two | Guilty plea to aggravated vehicular homicide and aggravated DWI | 7 to 21 years reported after the two-offense plea; no separate target-count allocation in the release |
| Nicholas Thompson | Far Rockaway high-speed DWI crash killed a passenger | Guilty plea to aggravated vehicular homicide | 8½ to 17 years |
Case Sources and Allocation
Serrano received four to twelve years on aggravated vehicular homicide and a concurrent two-and-one-third-to-seven-year vehicular-assault term. Official source. Absolam received five to fifteen years after pleading to the target offense. Official source. Aleh Sheipak received seven to twenty-one years following a plea to aggravated vehicular homicide and aggravated DWI; the release presents one overall prison term, so it is labeled as a combined plea outcome. Official source. Thompson received eight-and-one-half to seventeen years after pleading to aggravated vehicular homicide. Official source.
Methodology
These releases identify imposed sentences, not exhaustion of all appeals or time actually served. Serrano was sentenced October 3, 2022; Absolam September 15, 2022; Thompson October 14, 2021; and Sheipak August 7, 2019. Sheipak’s unallocated plea total is excluded from numeric target-count comparisons. The three allocated outcomes remain separate indeterminate minimum/maximum pairs; no lowest-to-highest fixed-term range is manufactured. Wider later-docket review remains incomplete.
Sources
Disclaimer
General information only, not legal advice.