MAYVILLE – The man charged in a double homicide that took place in the town of Gerry more than a decade ago has made a plea agreement with the county District Attorney’s office. DA David Foley says Gregory Pattison will spend the next 31-and-a-half years in prison for the contract killings of Richard Alicea Jr. and his bodyguard Johnny Houston in 2001. Pattison pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree manslaughter Tuesday, just more than a month before the case was set to go to its second trial.
Pattison was originally convicted in 2005 of first-degree murder and second-degree murder in connection with the slayings, but the conviction was later overturned by an appellate court for technical reasons. Despite the overturned murder convictions, Pattison remained incarcerated in California on a related federal charge and conviction. Two co-defendants, Aaron Pike and Daniel Diaz, were also previously convicted for their role in the murders and remain in jail.
During the initial trial, the court learned that Diaz and Pike, two drug dealers from Jamestown, had hired Pattison to murder Alicea, who had taken more than $150,000 worth of drugs from them. Alicea had also worked as an informant with the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force. Pattison allegedly accepted the offer and shot both individuals in the back of the head while riding in the backseat of a vehicle driven by Alicea.
The District Attorney says the plea deal ensures closure for the victim’s family because Pattison agreed to waive his right to appeal any legal issues in exchange for his plea.
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