Attorney Brian Premo says his client expected and wanted a trial in the criminal case for the Schoharie limo crash. He represents Mary Ashton, the mother of Michael Ukaj. He was one of the 20 victims killed in the October 2018 crash.

“They wanted to see the case play out in the court system,” Premo said.

But that no longer seems to be the case, according to Premo. Instead, he says Ashton was asked to give a victim impact statement, indicating a plea bargain was in place for Prestige Limousine operator Nauman Hussain.

What You Need To Know


  • Attorneys representing Schoharie limo crash victims' families say they're unhappy with potential plea bargain for Prestige Limo operator

  • Nauman Hussain faces 20 counts of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide in connection with October 2018 crash

  • No comments yet from Hussain's attorney or Schoharie County DA

“She’s not happy. She wants the court to know she’s not happy,” Premo said. “And she wants the court to know she has the right to speak, and that she intends to speak.”

Premo was joined by other attorneys representing victims’ families on Friday. They all claim their clients have been left out of this process.

They say it appears Hussain would get probation in this deal, with the plea and sentencing all happening in one day. Hussain is currently facing 20 counts of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.

“The families deserve to know what his role was in this offense completely,” said George Lamarche, an attorney for Amanda Halse’s family.

“Why is there a plea bargain? What are the facts of the case,” said Cynthia LaFave, attorney for Adam and Abigail Jackson’s family.

The attorneys say there also needs to be an allocution that details all of the facts in this case, with information on Mavis Discount Tire and the state Department of Transportation. While they commend Schoharie County District Attorney Susan Mallery for her work over the last few months, several of the attorneys say families want to see this case go to trial.

“There’s really no good reason to rush this through,” said attorney Sam Ferlazzo, who is representing Amanda Rivenburg’s Family. “There’s simply no good reason, and the judge should give the families the opportunity to see what occurred here.”

Hussain’s attorney Lee Kindlon did not immediately return a request for comment on any potential plea deal. Mallery did not immediately return a request for comment. A virtual court conference is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.​

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