Prison sentence for 2017 murder

A Queens, NY man was sentenced by a Superior Court judge for a Wilmington murder. In September 2017, Sandy Lashley, 31, shot and killed Allen Melton of Wilmington after Melton attempted to intervene in an altercation on Cedar Street between his girlfriend and Lashley’s female friend. Lashley pleaded guilty in May to Murder Second Degree and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony and was sentenced to 23 years in prison followed by 2 years of probation. Deputy Attorneys General Cari Chapman and Anna Currier secured this outcome with assistance from paralegals Jaime Prater and Julie Caputo, Special Investigator Cliff Dempsey, social worker Kristen Fluharty Emory, and Wilmington Police Detective Tom Curley.

DOJ’s Community Engagement Unit joined the Wilmington Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Probation and Parole, and other organizations Tuesday for National Night Out in Rodney Square. The event, organized and hosted by the Wilmington Police Department, aims to strengthen the connection between law enforcement and the community and to give residents of Wilmington an opportunity to interact with police and other public safety officials. National Night Out is tailored for families and kids and includes K-9 presentations, touch football games, and public safety-themed giveaways. Deputy Attorney General Allison Abessinio, Deputy Attorney General Abolore Oshodi, Community Engagement Specialist Corie Priest, and paralegal Nicole Morton participated in the event.