Long Beach man pleads guilty in rant against fellow LIRR rider, DA says
A Long Beach man accused of directing a racist rant at a woman on the Long Island Rail Road in April has pleaded guilty to aggravated harassment and disorderly conduct, officials said.
Edward Ruggiero, 58, entered the plea Thursday in a Queens court and will have to take a 12-week bias incident course and pay a $250 fine, the Queens district attorney’s office said Friday.
Ruggiero, who is white, was seen on a viral video shouting at a black Lynbrook woman as she talked on her cellphone on April 19 between the Jamaica and Forest Hills stations.
“Get off at Jamaica. Get off in the ghetto,” Ruggiero shouted at the woman. He then began to imitate the sounds of a monkey and yelled other racial slurs, officials said at the time.
Ruggiero had faced up to a year in jail on the original charges, which included third-degree menacing as a hate crime. His attorney, Joseph Donatelli, did not respond to a request for comment Friday morning.
Sarra Sounds Off, Season 3, Ep 3: Top football teams in action, fantasy update and plays of the week Gregg Sarra sounds off on the Northport and Half Hollow Hills East matchup, plus Tess Ferguson has an update on the high school fantasy football standings and Jared Vailuzzi has the plays of the week.
Sarra Sounds Off, Season 3, Ep 3: Top football teams in action, fantasy update and plays of the week Gregg Sarra sounds off on the Northport and Half Hollow Hills East matchup, plus Tess Ferguson has an update on the high school fantasy football standings and Jared Vailuzzi has the plays of the week.
