Hotel owner shooting plea deal

Maximum four months in jail for shooting death

By FRITZ MAYER

MONTICELLO, NY — Joe Naughton, owner of the Western Hotel in Callioon, has agreed to plead guilty to criminal negligent homicide in a shooting that resulted in a death last spring.

Naughton was handling a handgun on April 13 at 12:30 a.m. when the gun went off and killed Lori A. Schubeler, a bar tender and liquor store clerk at the hotel. Naughton had been drinking at the time.

At a conference in front of Judge Burton Ledina at the Sullivan County Courthouse on December 13, Naughton’s attorney, Jacqueline Ricciani, said that Naughton would plead guilty to the charge in exchange for a sentencing recommendation of a six-month jail term, but in which he would be required to spend a maximum of four months in the county jail. But the judge could sentence him to no jail time, should he decide to do so. The plea bargain includes a recommendation of five years of probation.

At the conference, District Attorney Steve Lungen said the judge might also consider community service and treatment as part of the sentencing.

Naughton did not make an appearance at the conference, but several of Schubeler’s friends did turn out. JoAnna Fischer, who at one time held the same job at the Western Hotel that Schubeler had, said that she was concerned about the seemingly light penalty. She said, “No one is speaking on behalf of Lori.”

The actual plea is due to be made by Naugthon in court on January 20, with sentencing to come sometime after that. Members of the community have written to the judge in support of Naughton, while others have said they will write to urge a more severe sentence.

Schubeler’s parents, who live in Ohio, have hired a lawyer, Terry Donnellon, to represent them in the matter, leading to speculation about a possible civil suit. Donnellon did not return a phone call by press time.

Schubeler, who was 41 at the time of her death, was a well-known member of the Sullivan County Dramatic Workshop in South Fallsburg and a successful actress. She had a role in Neil Simon’s film “Lost in Yonkers” and had appeared in many plays produced by the Sullivan County Dramatic Workshop, including “The Bad Seed” and “Oliver!” in which she played Nancy, one of the principal roles.