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T.G.I. Friday gunman sentenced to eight to 20 years in state prison

Ja'hsir Kahseem Legare, who last month pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and illegally carrying a firearm will spend eight to 20 years in state prison for the March 2, 2024 shooting death of 15-year-old Ahmeen Palmer at T.G.I Friday in Loyalsock Township, Lycoming County Judge William Carlucci ruled Tuesday morning.

"This is a time and a situation I do not relish," Lycoming County District Attorney Tom Marino told Carlucci, while offering his condolences to both families involved.

"My heart goes out to them," the DA said.

"The bottom line is that one young man was killed by another young man, who will now be serving a lengthy prison sentence," he said.

Noting that it took a long time to both get the facts straight and find Legare, who was apprehended in Milton in March of last year, Marino said that was supposed to be a talk between two individuals from "rival gangs" took a violent turn when Legare pulled a firearm and killed Palmer.

"This was planned and it was carried out execution style, and its caused a lot of problems for not only the young men involved, but also their families and the community," he said.

Asked by Carlucci to discuss some of the factors that led to the plea agreement, which originally called for Legare to receive no less than 7 ½ years and no more than 15 years in prison, Marino pointed to the ages of those involved, and what he referred to as their gang affiliations, as well as other aggravating and mitigating factors, including the impact of the sentence on the wider community.

Defense attorney Robert Hoffa began his presentation similarly by offering his condolences to the family of Palmer.

While not debating the evidence cited by Marino broadly, Hoffa stressed that there was no evidence that Legare was a member of a gang or that the killing was carried out execution style.

"Both my client and the victim had guns in their possession," Hoffa stressed, a factor that could have led to a justifiable homicide or self defense argument to me made had the case gone to trial.

"My client had no father figure in his life, and so he became the man of the house. He may have seen the gun on the victim, believed his mother was about to be shot, and acted irresponsibly by shooting the victim first," he said.

Still, Hoffa worked with the District Attorney's Office to fashion a plea agreement six months higher than the standard guideline range for the crimes to which Legare pleaded guilty.

"As a young man, my client was exposed to violence," Hoffa said. "Guns are socially acceptable in Philadelphia, and that is a problem that Lycoming County is unfortunately dealing with. We have failed these kids."

"There is no reason either of these two young men should've had guns or that shots should have been fired," Hoffa stressed.

Since his incarceration, Legare has finished his high school diploma, Hoffa said, adding that prior to the shooting, he was mentor to his younger brother.

Speaking directly to Palmer's family, Legare offered his condolences.

I want you to know its not just hard on you. Its hard on me too, waking up every morning with this remorse that I have to live with," he said.

"I want you to know this is not me and not who I am," Legare said, also apologizing to the judge and the community for what they've been put through.

"I hope that one day I can get out of prison and make a positive impact on the community," he said.

"You said you have to live with the guilt of this crime. Yes, you do, and I have to live with the sentence I impose," the judge told Legare.

"There's a lot to think about in this case," Carlucci said, noting that trials of this magnitude often generate significant social media conversation.

"Much of that conversation is superficial, and I can't change that. All I can do is attempt to hand down a sentence that is just," he said.

"This is more important than sentencing guidelines, and I'm confident that no matter what sentence I hand down, there will be those who feel it is too light and those who feel it is too harsh," Carlucci said.

"I received several letters from the families of both young men. These letters suggest these two young men could never be involved in something like this, but here we are," the judge said.

"There is a disconnect between the young men described in these letters and why we're here," he said.

While acknowledging Hoffa's argument that no evidence of gang ties on the part of Legare exist, Carlucci said it was hard to believe that the shooting was not the result of a group dynamic that Legare and Palmer were, respectively, a part of.

Carlucci ultimately rejected the prison length agreed upon by Marino and Hoffa, calling it too short, and explaining that while many defendants focus on the minimum sentence, he focuses on the maximum.

"The purpose of a longer sentence is not to keep people incarcerated longer, but to keep them crime-free," he said.

"I want you to take advantage of all the programming available to you, so that when you are released, you are the person these letters say you are," Carlucci said.

"The only person that has the power to do that is you. You're telling me that you want to be a force for good. We'll give you the chance," he said.

Carlucci also took the opportunity to reassure criminals that authorities are not content to rest on their laurels.

"If you remember anything from these proceedings, I want you to remember this, some communities have become numb to violence. We have not," he said.

"This community has not become numb to violence, and it will not become numb to violence," Carlucci said, adding that the community would not be deterred in its efforts to face the problem head on.

In addition to his prison sentence, for which Legare will receive 559 days credit for time serve, he will also be subject to a one-year supervisory reentry period and was ordered to pay $6,935 in restitution.