East Meadow man faces life imprisonment for 2012 murder

Herber Guzman, 42, of East Meadow, was sentenced today by Nassau County Court Judge William Donnino to a minimum 25 year prison sentence, and a maximum of life imprisonment, according to Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice.

Guzman was also sentenced to time served for possession of crack cocaine. He was found guilty by a Nassau County jury in October 2013 of second-degree murder, and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Guzman's sentencing had been rescheduled at least four times dating back to last year.

“This sentence ensures that this defendant will not pose a threat to the community for a very long time, and that he will be held accountable for the senseless killing of his victim,” said Rice in a prepared statement.

According to the district attorney, at 4:30 a.m. on April 26, 2012, Guzman was in his white Kia Sportage on Marvin Street in Hempstead when he fired a shotgun into the abdomen of 46-year-old Stanley Cater.

Nassau County Police Department homicide detectives were able to identify the vehicle and Guzman as its owner, Rice said, and notified police officers in the area to be on the lookout for it. Guzman was arrested six days later by Hempstead police officers, who also found crack cocaine in the vehicle.

After a three-week trial, the jury rejected the defense’s claims that Guzman was not the shooter.