Anthony Romero, a 25-year-old man, received a verdict of 37 years to life in prison on Wednesday, May 1. The jury found him guilty of the murder of Treavine Tate.
Multiple gunshots near State and Hulett streets were reported to the Schenectady Police at around 11:30 p.m. on May 30, 2022.
Tate, a former Bronx resident and father of two daughters, was taken to Ellis Hospital where he later succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds, as officers later discovered.
Romero, who had been identified as a suspect from the start, managed to elude authorities for months. However, on October 31, 2022, the US Marshals Task Force successfully apprehended him in Albany.
During the trial, Romero took the stand to testify on his own behalf and acknowledged that he shot Tate. However, he argued that it was an act of self-defense. He did confess to firing his entire gun at Tate, even though he was aware that Tate was not carrying any weapons.
He confessed that after the shooting, he concealed his gun beneath a school dumpster, incinerated his clothes, and spent several months in hiding out of state. The murder weapon could never be located.
On Friday, Feb. 23, the Schenectady County jury delivered a guilty verdict against Romero for the following charges:
-
- Second-degree murder
- Two counts of criminal possession of a weapon
- Tampering with physical evidence
Following the sentencing, Schenectady County District Attorney Robert Carney expressed his hope that the lengthy prison term imposed on Romero would serve as a deterrent for future killings.
According to Carney, individuals accused of homicide in this county should be aware that if they use an illegal firearm to shoot and kill someone, and a jury convicts them after a trial, the county court judges are unlikely to show them leniency.
In a powerful display of justice, Judge Caruso handed down a sentence of 37 years to life to Anthony Romero for the brutal murder of Treavine Tate. This ruling serves as a reminder that there are consequences for such heinous acts and that the legal system will not tolerate such violence. Anthony Romero has learned a valuable lesson today, as he faces the reality of spending a significant portion of his life behind bars.
