Press release
On Thursday, December 10, 2020, Michael A. Conrad, a 21 year old resident of Eagle, New York, pleaded guilty before the Honorable Michael M. Mohun to the following crimes:
-MANSLAUGHTER IN THE SECOND DEGREE
-VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER IN THE SECOND DEGREE
-ASSAULT IN THE SECOND DEGREE
-DRIVING WHILE ABILITY IMPAIRED BY THE COMBINED INFLUENCE OF DRUGS.
As part of the plea, Conrad admitted that on April 14, 2020, in the Town of Wethersfield, he recklessly caused the death of Cori Shearing by operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs
There was no plea agreement with respect to sentencing in this case.
The Defendant faces a sentence of up to 5 to 15 years for the Class “C” Felony of Manslaughter in the Second Degree, with sentences on the other charges being required to run concurrently (at the same time) as the Manslaughter conviction.
Conrad was arrested by the New York State Police in April of 2020 following their investigation of the accident. The New York State Police responded to Pleasant Valley Road in the Town of Wethersfield for a motor vehicle crash.
When the NYSP arrived, Cori Lynn Shearing, age 20, a passenger in a vehicle driven by Conrad, was deceased. An Accident Reconstruction Expert determined that Conrad was operating the motor vehicle at a speed of 97 MPH immediately prior to the crash. A subsequent lab analysis of Conrad’s blood indicated that he was under the influence of Cannabis (marijuana) and ecstasy/molly (MDMA) at the time of the crash.
“Cori Shearing had a promising future ahead of her. She graduated from Letchworth High School in 2018 in the top of her class and was going to Hilbert College. Her life was taken as a result of the choices that Michael Conrad made on April 14, 2020. This is a needless and senseless loss of life because of Michael Conrad’s choices to get behind the wheel of a car while impaired by drugs and drive that car in an extremely reckless manner”, said Wyoming County District Attorney Donald O’Geen
The case was prosecuted by First Assistant District Attorney Vincent A. Hemming. Norman P. Effman, Esq. represented the Defendant.