Tucumcari man gets five years in prison

A Tucumcari man was sentenced in district court May 28 to five years in prison and other conditions for his role in a violent and armed home invasion in October that hospitalized an elderly man.

Riley Severeid, 18, pleaded guilty in a plea deal to felony counts of aggravated burglary with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary with a deadly weapon and distribution of marijuana.

Other counts of felony larceny, conspiracy to commit larceny, felony tampering with evidence, lawful taking of a motor vehicle, false imprisonment, criminal damage to property and possession of drug paraphernalia were dropped in exchange for his cooperation in the case.

District Judge Albert Mitchell sentenced Severeid to nine years in prison on the first count, three years on the second count and 18 months on the third. The first two sentences will run consecutively; the 18-month term will run concurrently with the nine-year sentence.

Mitchell ordered seven years of the sentence be suspended in exchange for Severeid’s cooperation with law enforcement and impending testimony against the other suspects — Setheria Paul Kolyer of Tucumcari, plus Jamal Jones and a 17-year-old juvenile, both of the Albuquerque area.

Quay County sheriff’s deputies arrested Severeid and Kolyer in late October in connection with the home invasion earlier in the month. Robbers wearing masks and gloves tied up and beat Lawrence Szaloy, in his upper 70s at the time, at gunpoint at his East Maple Avenue home in an unincorporated area of Tucumcari. They cut his phone line, and his residence was ransacked.

The robbers took a small safe, a large sum of money, two pistols, a shotgun, cellphone and a Chevrolet Silverado extended cab pickup truck.

Szaloy was taken to Trigg Memorial Hospital in Tucumcari for treatment of bleeding head injuries and released.

Jones and the juvenile were taken into custody weeks later.

Mitchell also ordered that Severeid testify truthfully during upcoming court hearings against his alleged co-conspirators. He ordered him to pay $2,500 in restitution to Szaloy. If Szaloy doesn’t accept the money, payments will go to the Mesalands Community College Foundation.

Mitchell also ordered Severeid to moral-recognition therapy, vocational training and a 12-step program. Once released, he must be employed 20 hours per week and receive counseling for a diagnosed anti-social personality disorder. He must follow intervention recommendations from the probation department.

Mitchell, noting Severeid’s history of marijuana use, also ordered a more-frequent schedule of drug testing. The judge said Severeid’s immaturity, combined with marijuana use, led to “predictable results of not thinking about consequences.” Mitchell said Severeid’s maturity level also prompted concern about a child of his that will be born soon and that he might be “back in front of a judge.”

The judge rejected District Attorney Tim Rose’s recommendation for anger-management classes, saying it wasn’t relevant to the case.

Rose expressed satisfaction with the sentence.

“I’m glad the court imposed both prison and probation for Mr. Severeid,” he said outside of the courtroom. “He needs treatment, and justice requires a level of punishment which I believe he received.”

Szaloy did not attend the sentencing. His son, Joseph, gave a victim impact statement before Mitchell gave his sentence. He said Severeid and the other robbers “stole a huge chunk of my father” psychologically and emotionally.

Since the burglary, Szaloy said his father no longer can live on his own and often cannot sleep at night. He barely can walk and often says, “Why me?”

Szaloy said his father’s head required 23 stitches after one of the robbers pistol-whipped him. Because his father was taking blood-thinning medication, Szaloy said he could have bled to death.

Szaloy said his father was certain he would be killed during the break-in. When one of the robbers pointed a gun at him, he replied, “Put one right here.”

“He’s ready to pass away now,” Szaloy said. “I’ve had my father give up now.”

Mitchell, noting the elder Szaloy had attended every court hearing in the case before the sentencing, asked his son about his absence. Joseph Szaloy said his father “has good days and bad days” and that has memory has suffered.

“I think everyone involved needs to stand and take responsibility,” Szaloy said as he turned to Severeid, seated nearby wearing handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit from the county jail. “I hope and pray none of these gentlemen ever have chunks of their family stolen.”

Severeid replied to Szaloy: “I’m very sorry for what happened.”

Severeid later apologized again to Szaloy’s son.

“I wish I could apologize to him,” Severeid said, referring to the victim. “I’m sorry for what I’ve done and will take it like a man.”

Rose said though Severeid didn’t go into Szaloy’s home during the burglary, he planned it and supplied weapons for it. He said Severeid also was dealing marijuana in Tucumcari the time.

Rose had urged a 12-year prison sentence with six years suspended because of Severeid’s cooperation with law enforcement and the district attorney’s office.

Severeid’s attorney, public defender Anna Aragon, said her client expressed remorse and “will do everything he can to make things right.” She described him as a model inmate, he hasn’t complained, and he functions well in a structured environment.

“He’s ducked his head, taken his medicine and will continue to do so,” she said.

Aragon was still in court after Severeid’s sentencing on other cases and was unavailable for comment. A phone message to her office was not returned.