Syracuse Man Sentenced For Assault at Syracuse VA Medical Center

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Paul Lamont Richard, 40, of Syracuse, was sentenced today in federal court in Utica to a time-served (34-month) prison sentence, after previously pleading guilty to violently assaulting an employee at the Syracuse VA Medical Center in November 2014, announced Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith.

In pleading guilty to the assault charge earlier this year, Richard admitted that on November 17, 2014, he approached an employee in the transportation office at the Syracuse VA Medical Center and demanded a ride to Albany. When the employee informed Richard that there was no scheduled trip to Albany that day, Richard became angry and assaulted the employee. Specifically, Richard grabbed the victim by the neck, braced him against a bookshelf, dragged the victim across a desk, dropped him to the floor, and then kicked the victim in the face. This assault caused the victim to lose consciousness and to suffer a large contusion and several cuts on his face. The defendant was arrested almost immediately, and he has been incarcerated pending the outcome of the assault charge since November 17, 2014.

In federal court in Utica today, United States District Judge David N. Hurd sentenced Richard to a time-served sentence of 34 months’ imprisonment.

This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Police, and it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.