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Monessen man to serve time for shooting uncle in dispute
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By Rich Cholodofsky
Published: Friday, January 25, 2013, 12:01 a.m.
Updated: Friday, January 25, 2013
A Monessen man will serve up to five years in prison for shooting his uncle last year in a dispute involving a woman.
The sentence imposed Thursday for Keyonta McIntyre, 19, by Westmoreland County Judge John Blahovec was the product of a negotiated deal between prosecutors and defense attorneys.
He was convicted by a jury in November of aggravated assault and a firearms offense for the May 31 shooting of Adonta Rainey, 24. The jury could not reach a verdict on the more serious charge of attempted murder.
Police contended that McIntyre, 19, lured Rainey to a parking lot outside Rostraver Apartments and then fired two shots in an ambush.
One hit Rainey in the lower abdomen, causing him to be hospitalized for several days.
During a two-day trial, McIntyre contended he fired the shots in self-defense.
Rainey testified that bad blood developed between him and his nephew when McIntyre started dating the mother of Rainey's child.
Following more than five hours of deliberations, the jury convicted McIntyre on the two lesser counts.
Assistant District Attorney Jackie Knupp said prosecutors agreed to drop the attempted murder charge as long as McIntyre consented to serve a 21⁄2- to five-year prison sentence.
“Because of the evidentiary issues we would have in retrying the case, the parties negotiated a result that satisfies everyone involved,” Knupp said.
The sentence matches a plea bargain McIntyre rejected before the start of the trial, according to Knupp.
Rich Cholodofsky is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-830-6293 or rcholodofsky@tribweb.com.
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