The operator of the company behind the deadly limo crash is behind bars. Nauman Hussain was taken into custody moments after a jury found him guilty of 20 counts manslaughter for his role in the horrific crash back in October 2018.
Over the past week, both sides have argued whether or not Hussain was responsible for the lack of maintenance on the limo and its catastrophic brake failure. On Wednesday, a jury found Hussain was reckless in his actions for skirting around state Transportation Department laws and sending out an unsafe vehicle, which crashed and killed all 17 on board, the driver and two pedestrians.
The families have been at the center of the process, speaking out against a former plea deal, which was originally thrown out by the judge last August, sending the case to trial.
But some of the families say their search for justice isn't over just yet.
Wednesday was an emotional day in the courtroom. It, of course, was heavy throughout the week of the trial, but a powerful moment occurred Wednesday when the verdict was read and a loud cheer went up as Hussain was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs. He had been convicted of manslaughter 4 1/2 years after that limo crashed in Schoharie.
And while the trial part of the case came to a close, Hussain’s attorney said another chapter remains open.
Defense attorney Lee Kindlon said his next steps will be to file a bail appeal to get Hussain out of jail pending sentencing on May 31. Hussain had been free throughout the the trial, but the conviction changed everything on Wednesday, when Schoharie County sheriff's deputies took him to county jail.
Kindlon says he’ll also appeal the ruling, saying he didn’t agree with some of the judge’s decisions, including the move to not dismiss the case.
The families of the victims, however, erupted in emotion when the guilty verdict was read: Hussain found guilty on all 20 manslaughter charges, the most serious charge in this case- one for each victim who died in the crash.
And while the families say they received the justice they waited for, some of them are calling it "partial justice," and say they also want to see Mavis Discount Tire charged for its role in the crash.
Last Wednesday, Virgil Park, the former manager of Mavis Discount Tire in Saratoga, admitted to falsifying invoices and charging Hussain for work that was never completed on the limo’s brake lines before they gave out, leading to the crash.
“Why haven’t they been indicted?" said Mary Ashton, mother of Michael Ukase. "That’s my question. Where is Mavis in all of this?”
This is the one thing the defense and the families could both agree on in the case: Mavis also had a hand in the lack of maintenance on the limo, leading to the cause of the crash.
Kindlon recommended to the Saratoga County District Attorney's Office that charges be brought against the former Mavis employees after the testimony in the trial.
Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen said Mavis employees still could - and should - be held accountable for their actions.
“It’s always difficult to find a silver lining on the gray cloud of having my client convicted. But, if we were able to move that conversation forward in any way, certainly Nauman is happy about that,” Kindlon said.
But time is ticking with the looming statute of limitations just on the horizon.
Hussain could face 5 to 15 years in prison at sentencing.