By Courtney Dentch
A 20-year-old Hollis man received the maximum sentence of 25 years to life for murdering a Chinese food deliveryman in 1999, despite pleas of leniency based on his age and his clean record.
Conrad Marhone, of 100-11 196th St. in Hollis, was sentenced Monday before Justice Richard Buchter in State Supreme Court in Kew Gardens for the murder of Ng Cheung Cheung in June, 1999. He also was sentenced to concurrent terms for robbery and possession of a weapon.
Marhone was found guilty of murder by a jury on March 21.
According to trial testimony, Marhone was with a friend, Rami Merchant, 18, also of Hollis, on June 23, 1999 when they called a Hollis Chinese restaurant and ordered food to be delivered to an abandoned house on 195th Street, Brown said. When Cheung, 52, arrived at the address with the delivery, he was given $20 before Marhone hit him with a baseball bat, Brown said. Merchant grabbed the food, and the two ran, Brown said.
Merchant, who was tried separately, was convicted of murder in January and is awaiting sentencing, Brown said.
“The defendant took more than a bag of food from this man,” Buchter said at Marhone’s sentencing. “He took everything Mr. Cheung had in this world. He took his present and his future. He took a husband from a wife and a father from his children.”
Marhone’s lawyer, Frank Davis, asked Buchter to impose a lighter sentence, using Marhone’s previously clean criminal record as a basis to maintain his innocence.
“We usually don’t see a jump from no criminal activity to brutal murder,” Davis said.
But even though Buchter described Marhone as articulate and intelligent, the judge would not take that into consideration.
“He has no record, but he certainly made up for it in a hurry,” Buchter said.
Although Marhone still maintained his innocence, he expressed sympathy for Cheung’s family.
“I think about the family of this man,” he said. “My condolences go out to his family.”
Marhone, who completed his GED at Rikers Island, admitted he was scared and begged Buchter to reduce the sentence so he might have a second chance at life once he is released.
“I hope it’s possible to go home at some date, at some time and make something of my life,” he said.
But prosecutor Michelle Goldstein said Marhone was already given a chance growing up with a good stable family in middle-class surroundings.
“His mother worked hard to ensure he has everything he could ever ask for,” Goldstein said. “He, in fact, a kid who has everything, he’s the one who took the baseball bat and struck Mr. Ng Cheung Cheung.”
Davis also asked Buchter for an adjournment of two weeks before imposing the sentence, citing Marhone’s mother’s health and his planned marriage. Marhone’s mother faces fibroid surgery to remove uterine tumors next month, Davis said. Marhone is also making arrangements to wed his longtime girlfriend, which would be easier in the city than in an upstate correctional facility, Davis said.
“If it’s not done here, it will take eight months in upstate,” Davis said.
Buchter would not adjourn the sentencing but said he would ask that Marhone be remanded at Rikers Island for 90 days to allow him to take care of his personal business.
Reach reporter Courtney Dentch by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com, or by phone at 229-0300, Ext. 138.
