UPDATE: Ex-Marine James Farr Faces Up to Four Years in Jail

James Farr, the ex-Marine accused of striking and killing two brothers on an East Meadow roadway in 2009, was convicted of criminally negligent homicide DWI.

The jury found him not guilty of seven of the 11 charges and Farr faces one-and-one-third to four years in prison.

Closing arguments were heard early Tuesday morning in the DWI trial of the ex-Marine accused of striking and killing two brothers on an East Meadow roadway in 2009, according to a spokesman for the Nassau County District Attorney's office.

Spokesman Chris Munzing said the jury began deliberations on Wednesday to decide the fate of James Farr, 34, of Garden City, who was charged with two counts of second degree vehicular manslaughter and one count of driving while intoxicated in the Aug. 23, 2009 crash that claimed the lives of two brothers, Thomas Occhiogrosso, 27, of Riverhead and Joseph Occhiogrosso, 28, of East Meadow.

The crash occurred as the two brothers were attempting to cross Hempstead Tpke. near Conti Square Blvd. and were struck by Farr's westbound BMW, according to Nassau police. News reports would later reveal that ironically all three men had been drinking in the same bar, RC Dugan's in East Meadow, on the night of the crash.

Both Farr and Occhiogrosso had served in the armed forces. Farr was a Marine sergeant who had served three tours of duty in Iraq, while Occhiogrosso served two tours in Iraq with the Navy.

Farr's attorney, Greg Grizopoulos of Rockville Centre, formerly an assistant district attorney under long-time Nassau DA Denis Dillon, did not return calls seeking comment. Nassau County prosecutors will not comment until the conclusion of the trial.   

Joseph Occhiogrosso, a plumber, was remembered by friends as caring for his elderly grandmother in East Meadow, while his brother Thomas, a custodian at Cutchogue East Elementary School, was known for being a devoted husband to his wife Erin and a loving father to his 3-year-old daughter Cecilia.

A special fund has been set up through Capital One Bank to help provide for little Cecilia's  future via a blog dedicated to the memory of Thomas Occhiogrosso at "forcecilia". Donations by check should be made out to Cecilia Occhiogrosso and either mailed to Capital One Bank, P.O Box 1419, Mattituck, NY 11952 or brought into any Capital One Bank branch.

Patricia Zimmerman, a friend of Erin Occhiogrosso, put together a website and raffle last year for Cecilia. Zimmerman's raffle, "Scrapbooks for Cecilia," helped raise around $200 in donations that were put into a special account for the child.

"I also did go on to scrapbook some very special pictures of Cecilia and her father and put together a book of these pages which I gave to her this past Father's Day," said Zimmerman via email.  "It is something she will have with her forever, pictures and stories of her and the father who passed away way too soon. It was a very touching day."

Asked about the trial, Zimmerman was brief but to the point.  

"The death of Thomas and his brother was very, very tragic," she said.  "I hope to see that justice is sought."