Syracuse, NY – A man convicted of kidnapping and torturing a DeWitt man cried and apologized in court to the victim’s family before being sentenced to a maximum of 50 years in prison.
“That’s the rest of my life,” said the man. “I will die in prison.”
Shah Powell, 36, was found guilty of kidnapping Jhomiel Brown, holding him hostage in a shed and pulling out his front teeth with pliers at 6820 Myers Road on September 24, 2023.
Brown was beaten with metal rods, bitten and burned with cigarettes until he collapsed, prosecutors said. He used one of his extracted teeth to cut through duct tape to escape, they said.
Before the trial, Powell was offered a sentence of 10 years in prison if he pleaded guilty. Prosecutor Jed Hudson asked Judge Matthew Doran on Wednesday to sentence him to 50 years.
Hudson told the court that the original offer was based on concerns that Brown would not testify about what happened to him. Brown took the stand and shared a harrowing story of torture and gruesome escape.
Powell also testified and lied to the court, Hudson said. Powell testified that Brown’s brutal injuries were the result of a fistfight over a drug deal gone wrong.
Hudson also reminded the judge that as the jury read their verdict, Powell “lost his cool” and punched a hole in the wall.
“This is a man who was not prepared at all to accept what he did to other human beings,” Hudson said.
Powell’s attorney, Susan Carey, asked the judge not to sentence Powell to a longer sentence for going to trial than he would have received if he accepted the plea deal.
Powell read a letter he had written for the court before the sentencing.
After a few lines, Powell began to cry, crumpled up the paper, and spoke without a prepared statement.
He said in court that he once considered Brown a friend and none of this should have happened.
He faced Brown’s family in court and repeatedly apologized for his actions. Brown’s family wept as he spoke.
“I’ve let my whole family down by putting myself in this situation,” Powell said. “At 36, I shouldn’t be looking at 50 years of my life.”
Doran pointed out that Powell has a not insignificant history in the criminal justice system.
He said he can’t even imagine what Brown suffered at the hands of Powell that night in DeWitt.
“This sentence does not punish Mr. Powell for going to trial,” Doran said. “He is punishing Mr Powell for the absolutely barbaric attack on Mr Brown.
Leave a Reply