The alleged mastermind of a brazen home invasion in Milford where the suspects posed as Amazon workers was sentenced to 23 years in prison despite being on the run.
Judge Peter McShane ruled that Shane Gordon, 30, of Bridgeport, waived his right to be present for his sentencing by not appearing in Milford Superior Court Tuesday beside his attorney, William Gerace, who was there.
Gordon hasn't been seen since his trial in May for a violent home invasion in January 2022 that was caught by security cameras. Though Gordon sat through multiple days of evidence, he failed to appear for jury deliberations and the verdict. Jurors still convicted him of all nine charges: home invasion, first-degree robbery, first-degree kidnapping, second-degree assault, first-degree larceny, theft of a firearm, conspiracy to commit home invasion, conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny.
On Tuesday, Supervisory Assistant State's Attorney Howard Stein ran through the facts of the case--how Gordon and another man approached a home on Naugatuck Avenue dressed as Amazon delivery drivers with packages. When the door opened, they forced their way in.
"A lot of purposeful thought went into this plan," Stein stated.
He described how the victim was beaten and pistol-whipped, then bound with duct tape as his home was ransacked.
"A gun was placed at his head and was dry fired for effect. That is, the trigger was pulled without there being a round in the chamber, so that the gun clicked at the head of the victim. And we can all imagine the terror that must've caused," said Stein.
He told the court Gordon and his crew got away with over $50,000 worth of jewelry and watches.
The security camera footage showed the victim run out screaming for help as he pulled off the duct tape from his face.
In court, McShane said the jury spoke clearly and very loudly by finding Gordon guilty of all nine charges and Gordon's absence meant he gave up his right to argue for leniency.
McShane handed down a sentence of 45 years in prison, suspended after Gordon serves 23 years, followed by five years of probation.
If Gordon is caught, he will be arrested and arraigned on a new charge of failure to appear, then will head straight to prison to begin serving his sentence.
Two of Gordon's accomplices have already been sentenced in the case. Jahsim Trotman was the other man who posed as an Amazon worker. He pleaded guilty to home invasion, first-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery, first-degree larceny and violation of probation and was sentenced to ten years in prison. Dominique Jackson, who knew the victim, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit second-degree robbery and first-degree larceny for helping to plan the robbery. Jackson received a one-year prison sentence.
The case against Theodore Jordan, who 's accused of being the getaway driver, is still pending.