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Teen acquitted of murder in J’Ouvert festival shooting
A Brooklyn jury acquitted a teen accused of murder and manslaughter in the shooting death of a promising 22-year old St. John’s University student during the J’Ouvert festival in 2016.
Reginald Moise was let off Thursday night on the most serious charges in the death of Tiarah Poyau, the daughter of a Trinidad cop, who was shot in the eye during the Crown Heights street party, an all-night celebration that precedes the annual West Indian Day Parade. Moise was found guilty of the lesser charges of criminally negligent homicide and weapons possession.
Poyau’s family was enraged when they heard the verdict, bystanders and sources familiar with the case told The Post.
“The family was flipping out, bawling, sobbing,” the source said of Poyau’s family. “They were here for hours, they couldn’t believe it.”
Moise now faces 1 1/3 to four years behind bars for the criminally negligent homicide, and up to 15 years behind bars on the weapons possession conviction. He would have faced life in prison if convicted of the murder charge.
“Mr. Moise is grateful that a jury saw this for what it was,” his lawyer, Norm Steiner, told The Post. “Even though not guilty of murder and not guilty of manslaughter seems like a huge victory, there are no winners here.”
“This is a sad and tragic event and as I have said from the beginning, I have nothing but sympathy and condolences for the family,” Steiner said.
Moise maintained he didn’t know the gun was loaded, and had no memory of shooting anyone during the festival because he was intoxicated at the time.
Poyau was shot through the eye at the festival just a year after Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s former aide Carey Gabay was fatally shot in the head. Five men were arrested in connection with Gabay’s shooting: Kenny Bazile, Micah Alleyne, Stanley Elianor, Keith Luncheon and Tyshawn Crawford.
Luncheon was acquitted of all charges, while Crawford cut a cooperation deal for 40 years behind bars. Alleyne was sentenced to up to 30 years behind bars, Bazile up to 25 and Elianor up to seven years.
The same night Poyau was shot, another J’Ouvert reveler, Tyreke Borel, 17, was killed as he sat on a bench. No one was ever arrested in his murder.
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