GUILTY

Three People Convicted of Manslaughter in 2015 East Village Gas Explosion

The three defendants were accused of running an illegal gas line into the building that caused the explosion.

Three people were convicted of manslaughter on Friday in the March 2015 New York City gas explosion that killed two men, the New York Daily News reports. Maria Hrynenko, the owner of the East Village building where the explosion occurred, general contractor Dilber Kukic, and unlicensed plumber Athanasios “Jerry” Ioannidis were also found guilty of assault charges and one count of reckless endangerment at the conclusion of the two-month trial. The explosion occurred at the street-level Sushi Park restaurant, killing 23-year-old Nicholas Figuero and 26-year-old Moises Lucon. Hrynenko, Kukic, and Ioannidis were accused of running an illegal gas line into the building that caused the explosion, which injured 13 others. All three reportedly face up to 15 years in prison on the manslaughter charges.